The Hurricane of Fire
by MilkAndCheez
Summary: Alex is a daughter of Apollo, who has a tough childhood. First, she meets Leo Valdez, who helps her escape the first time, then she meets Annabeth, Luke and Thalia. The she basically grows up in camp with Annabeth. Fast forward to the second great prophecy. Read about Alex's adventures with Leo Valdez. And for any Caleo lovers, sorry I broke it up. :)
1. Chapter 1

I found myself sitting on a bench in the lobby of an orphanage, while my rescuers were talking to the front desk. All of my journey so far had been too much for me, what with my Mom dying in the fire, then managing to escape. I was on the run for 3 days, before a strange couple in a minivan came to pick me up. They said some strange stuff about expecting me, and who wore black leather jackets in summer? I stared down at my lap, and starting swinging my legs, because my 7-year-old legs couldn't reach the floor. Finally, the receptionist called,

"Alexandra! Come up, and collect your luggage, and then I can put you in your dorm, with the other girls!" she beckoned for me to come over, so I slipped off the seat, at went over to her, giving her a cold stare.

"My name is Alex. Alex Maxwell. Never call me Alexandra." I guess that pissed her off a little, because she returned my stare, then proceeded to show me down a long narrow corridor. It smelt musty, and gave me a cold feeling. Finally, we came into a small room, with 3 beds free. There were 7 other girls in that room, and when I walked past, they turned their nose up at me, as if they were above me. I put my salvaged goods down on the bed at the very end of the room, so I could have nothing to do with the other girls. I looked into my mirror, and instantly recoiled at what I saw. My blonde hair was a tangled mess, with twigs, leaves and dirt caked into it, from nights of sleeping on the ground. One of my hazel eyes had a bloody scratch over it in a diagonal line, and my clothes were ripped and torn like nobody's business. I walked over to the shower, to tidy myself up, and put on new clothes. I was quite independent for 7 years, and I was definitely way more mature. When I came out, all the girls were putting on nice clothes, and when I asked them why, they told me they were getting ready to go to the town. I scoffed, and asked why they were going to that stupid place. When the only answer I got was,

"Bakewell snob," from a petite girl with jet black hair, I flicked my hair, and proceeded to go to the window, and I leaned against it. When the room was empty, I looked out of the window. I saw the supervisor unlock the orphanage door and unlock the gate too, for all the children to go through. Once the last child was gone, lock went the door, and lock went the gate. This place was so old-fashioned. Well, I said to myself. There's no way to escape this place now. Then I flipped the latch on the window, and saw the space was big enough for me to go through. The bottom wasn't that low either, so I proceeded to reach my arms out to the drain pipe, and I began to climb down. Once I had both feet firmly on the ground, I took a deep breath, and started to walk, when I heard a gasp, from around the corner. I went to see what it was, and it turned out to be a boy of my height. He had dark brown hair, and lightly tanned skin. His nose was turned up, and his ears were slightly pixie shaped.

"Who are you?" I asked, rudely, maybe, but I was still 7, and curiosity got the better of me. After getting over his original shock, the boy stood up straight, and stuck his hand out to greet me.

"Leo Valdez. What's yours?"

I took his hand and shook it. "Alex Maxwell." Then he looked at me seriously in the eye, before bursting out in laughter.

"That was kinda funny. Are you new here? I saw you coming in with your luggage through the window."

"Yeah," I replied. "I came in today, but I already hate it here. What do you think of this place?"

"It's total crap," Leo said, plain as hell. "I've honestly thought about running away quite a few times, but I've never thought I could pull it off, and there's no-one here at this place who'd wanna run away, much less with me."

"Why?" I asked the most obvious question, hanging in the air.

"Well," Leo said, smirking slightly, "Everyone else thinks I'm a freak."

* * *

*Leo explains every thing about his fire thing, and Alex explains everything about her life, and her special power of healing people, and Leo talks about his life and they're all on the same page.*

* * *

It was the middle of the night, and everyone else was placidly snoring, but I couldn't sleep, so I lay there, thinking about the events during the day, but more of the boy I'd met, Leo Valdez. It seemed like a charm, though, because as soon as I turned around to face the window, a figure came slithering through the window. My ADHD got the best of me, so I leaped from under the covers, to pin the figure to the wall.

"Hey, Alex, can you put me down?" came Leo's voice.

"Oh, sorry, natural instincts," I whispered back. Leo beckoned for me to come through the window. I followed him until we were safely two feet on the ground.

"Why did you do that, Leo?" I asked.

"I was thinking about what you said, about running away, and I've decided to run to do it. Are you coming with me?"

I was honestly a bit taken aback. "Leo, I have absolutely no issue with that, I mean sure as hell, but why me? Isn't there someone else you can trust, and we only met today."

He nodded, and said, "I'm fine if you don't want to come, but as for why I can trust you, well, you're the only person who's like me, and you had nothing against me doing the weird fire thing. Even if you're not coming, then I'll go, but I just want to tell you any way, so you know."

"Oh, come off it, of course I'm coming. It's kinda weird, but even though we met today, I think I can trust you. When can we do it?" I asked.

In the end, we made plans to gather supplies the next day at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and gather all our luggage to meet here the following night.

* * *

All throughout the day, I was constantly around Leo. He knew this place better than me, so he showed me everything, like we were never leaving. I figured that it was a show to make us look less suspcious.

'Daang, this guy's smart,' I thought. By the end of the day, between us, we had a large haul of food, to last us weeks. When it was time to leave, I wrapped my portion of the food in two plastic bags, and put them inside my luggage. I took my bags, and dumped them on the grass outside. I hoped no-one heard the bang. I quickly climbed down the drain pipe, and went to the place me and Leo were at the night before. Before too long, he showed up, and gave me a pixie -like grin.

"Ya ready?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Between us we managed to haul the luggage and ourselves onto the other side of the fence, and then we started walking into the great outdoors.

And that is the story of how I lasted barely two days in my first and only orphanage home.

* * *

**Hey there! This is my first Fanfic, so if you have any criticsism for my work, please tell me, but can you please tell me how to improve as well? Thank you so much!**

**Yours,**

**MilkAndCheez**

**P.S- In this chapter, the credit for Leo Valdez goes to Rick Riordan.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Wow," I panted, "That took a lot of effort!". We had just run from a police car in a Metro parking lot. I was pretty sure that the police man had seen us, but that didn't matter. He couldn't find us now.

"Huh, you get tired easily!" said Leo, obviously trying to stop panting.

"Don't give me that smirk, Valdez!" I gave him a playful shove onto the railing next to us. We had been on the run for over a week now, and we had done some pretty weird stuff, like sleep in a sewer (Leo looked really funny when a huge pile of _homo-sapien_ droppings washed onto his hair), when someone tried to report us, we fought them with strange wooden slabs we found from ruins, until they literally were kneeling down in front of us for mercy, and don't get me started on the time when we had the cops on us for breaking into a beach side restaurant. We actually jumped into the sea, and swam out to just in front of the danger line. The cop who caught us was fat and old (probably in his 50's) so he left us alone after that.

But, needless to say, I enjoyed all of it. I'd never done anything so daring before, and having a partner in crime, it was great, especially one like Leo. He made me laugh, as if there wasn't a care in the world, and he would always be there for me when I was down. We had enough food, and everything was perfect. Or until our first monster attack.

* * *

"Hey, can you hear that funny noise, Al?" I got a warm fuzzy feeling when he called me 'Al'.

"Oh you mean the weird 'Brrrr' noise the fast food place is making? Yeah, it's making me hungry," I replied.

"No, Alex, not that noise, it's a sort of growling noise, and it's coming from behind you!" Leo said again, really worried. I detected the concern in his voice, so I decided to look behind me, even if it was some kind of prank. I turned not a moment too soon, because as I pivoted on my heel, an giant dog like creature came leaping out at us. It was a hell hound, but my innocent little brain didn't know that. I still thought it was going to kill us(which it was), so I got on my natural instinct, which was to grab a wooden slab, and fling it at the monster's eye. It bought enough time for Leo to send a double track of fire down towards the hell hound's legs, like in those anime action things. This got it confused, which then gave us an advantage, enough time to go to the back of the hell hound's booty. This was not enough time, however, to not get sat on. I heard a a strange pop on my shoulder, and I winced. My shoulder had dislocated, and it was more gruesome than swinging your arm around. My instincts told me my bone had splintered, so I couldn't move it much. I could only imagine what Leo was going through, squished under the left buttock. I heard Leo let out a little groan, and my heart fell at the sound. He was definitely in danger if he wasn't helped soon. I squeezed my free hand under the big coat of fur to reach out to Leo, and I let my fingertips touch his shoulder. Healing magic flowed through me, allowing me to give him some of my strength, enough for him to heal himself quicker. It was something I could do, how? Someone knows. Suddenly, I saw a bright burst of red, and the hell hound stood up immediately. We both ran out as soon as we got up, and hid behind a pile of rocks.

"What did you do?" Leo asked, frowning.

"What did I do, what?" I said, playing innocent.

"Oh, come off it, I know you did something, when you touched my shoulder, it cured my elbow right away. It was bent at a funny angle, but then- it wasn't!"

"Okay, fine, I used my powers to heal you. It wasn't a big deal, so don't look at me like I've broken the law."

"No, it's more than that. Throughout the whole thing, I could feel your fingers drooping. What happened, Al, tell me!"

I found my self taking one glance at his concern laced face, then I stared at my ankles. "I gave you some of my strength, so you could heal faster."

Leo's face fell, "Oh Alex! Why'd you do that!?". Honestly, looking back then, It was hard to believe that we were only seven. It was us against the wide world, but we were OK.

"I had to Leo, you needed it more than me. You got us out of there." Leo looked at me seriously, and then noticed my arm at a funny angle.

"What happened to your shoulder?" he asked, I knew, for nothing less than the truth.

"It dislocated, and the bone splintered," I admitted, feeling a bit dizzy. I had never used my power on that large a scale before, and never intentionally. Leo grabbed my good shoulder, and said, "Why can't you heal yourself?"

"It doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe I can't travel energy from myself to myself..." I was starting to feel really dizzy now, and my vision kept zoning in and out.

"Hey, Al, you keep zoning out, hey Alex!" Leo's worried voice passed in one ear and out the other. My head lolled to the side, and I passed out.

* * *

I was in a strange cavern, and every thing was black. I tried calling out for Leo, but all I got back for answers, were echoes. Suddenly, a hole appeared in the cave, and outside was a beautiful garden, with greenery, and beautiful plants. I ran out, my bare feet relishing the grass. In the center, was a tall and majestic tree, that almost glowed with light, and certainly glowed with power. A form shimmered in the air, but for some reason, I took this as normal. The form was a man, glowing, with golden hair and a green laurel wreath. He was wearing what looked like a bed sheet, but it looked good, or even normal. All of this was normal. None of this was out of the ordinary.

"It is not time for you, my child, it is not time..." This was starting to become weird. I never had a dad, so who was this man calling me his 'child'? The scene changed and I found myself inside the cavern again, my bare feet against the hard rock. Once again, a hole opened in the cavern wall, this time showing a different setting. It was my old bedroom, with the curtains drawn down. My bed was made, and at the foot of the bed...was my mother, dressed in her evening gown, patting her knee, gesturing for me to sit down. I ran towards her, her welcoming smile warming my heart. I went up to her and sat down on her knee, when the illusion faded once more, and I was once again on cold stone. I couldn't take it any more, and I broke down crying, sobs shaking my whole body. The next time a hole appeared, I was not going through. I was not going to be disappointed again. However, the cavern seemed to respond to my intentions. A swirling mass of dirt, grass, and jewels came swirling at me like a tornado. I blocked my fore head, and spun around to protect myself from the whirling storm. The clutter and mess formed into a person. A woman, with regal beauty (or as much as you can get with a dirt-face) turned on me, looming over me, domineering and condescending.

"Little hero, you shall be the one to come and wake me. I shall rise, and you will fall."

And then I woke up.

* * *

**Hi there! So I managed to do another chapter (yes I surprised myself too), but I realised that I had only done a credits thing for Leo. I planned on doing one every chapter, but that might not be very practical, so here is the full one:**

**All rights go to Rick Riordan for most of the characters and most of the plot. Alex is one of my OC's, but the rest of the fanfiction credits go to Uncle Rick.**

**Yours most incredibly truly,**

**MilkandCheez**


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes flickered open. We were behind the pile of rocks we had taken refuge behind after we got sat on. My head was resting on something. I tried to raise it, but there was something on top of me. I rolled my eyes up, to see what it was. Just then, some brown curls fell onto my nose, and I realised I had passed out on Leo's shoulder. He had then fallen asleep on top of my head. I went bright red. I contemplated waking Leo up, but then decided against it. He needed rest as much as I did. I leaned back against a boulder, and Leo's head fell into my lap. I went redder still, but I didn't wake him up. Instead, I closed my eyes, thinking about the dream I had. I saw my mother again, after weeks, and who was that man? My father? No-my father was dead, he died in a car crash. So why did that feeling not go. I leaned forward to check our surroundings. The giant dog thing had gone. It was just us in a lonely alley way. I looked at my shoulder. It was still pretty stiff. I ripped my jumper sleeve off, and wrapped it around my shoulder, to immobilise it. The pressure immediately released the pain, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Leo turned his head around, so it was facing me, and then opened his eyes. When he saw where he was, he jolted up.

"Sorry," he said.

"Don't be," I replied. "I was passed out on your shoulder anyway."

"Right," Leo said, obviously still embarrassed. "Has the dog-thing gone?

"Yeah. I think we should go..."

"Is your arm ok?" Leo asked, concerned. I smiled. This was one of the many reasons Leo was an amazing friend.

"Yeah, It's fine. I immobilised it in a sort of cast, so it's fine for the present time."

"This is all my fault..." Leo said. I frowned, and put my good arm around him.

"Hey, don't say that. It's not your fault you just happened to be under the buttock, and me in the crack. Don't blame yourself. You don't deserve to deal with the pain." To prove my point, I grinned at him, and beckoned for him to come with me. Leo smiled wanely, and followed me. I could tell he didn't believe me.

* * *

We found ourselves next to a sewer, with the the symbol of 'Omega' engraved onto it. I didn't think there was something funny about this, but Leo pointed it out. I frowned, and said,

'So it is... Should we explore?"

Leo grinned, and said, "You read my mind." With that, he lifted the grate up and slid down. I looked down, and I saw a familiar glint of fire. Smirking to myself, I slid down too, pulling the grate down after me.

The place smelt musty, and the air was humid, but in no way was it a sewer. The friendly fire died out, so I called,

"Leo?". I got a small call from ahead,

"Hey, Al, I think I've found something..." His voice trailed off into the darkness. I didn't ask him to re-light his fire again, as I knew how uncomfortable that made him feel. Instead, I felt my way in the darkness, until my hand brushed Leo's curly hair.

"Hey, Leo, I found you. What is it?" I asked. Leo relit his hand (oh gods that sounds so wrong), and showed me what he found. It was a strange mound, of gold.

"Why would they leave such a large amount of gold just here to rot in a sewer?" Leo pondered.

"Why is the Gold in the sewer in the first place? Gold isn't mined here. I don't think this is regular gold, Leo, but.." I reached out to touch it, and something happened. It was like the Gold responded to my touch. The mound started to melt, and melt until it wasn't a mound any more, but a sleek sword, studded with jewels. On the side, there was an engraving, 'The blessed of Apollo will weild this sword to greatness' in ancient Greek. Leo repeated the lines, and then ran his fingers over them. But as soon as he touched it, it turned back into a mound of gold.

"Weird!" I said. I ran my hand over the gold rock, but it then turned back into a sword again. Leo's eyes were alight.

"Woah, that is so cool. That literally means you are the only one who can weild the sword!"

I pondered on it, then smiled, "Yeah I guess." The sword the suddenly changed into a pendant, a round circle, with a lyre stamped onto it.

"Handy transport?" Leo said, doubtfully.

"I think..." I said very slowly, "That we need to get out of here."

"What?" Leo said, confused.

"COME ON!" I took his hand and dragged him all the way to the grate. "Get up there Leo!"

"What is this, Al-" He didn't get to finish his scentence, because I boosted him up.

"Get up there now, please Leo!" He pushed open the grate and crawled outside. He pulled me up, and I closed the grate. Leo stared at me with concern, while I steadied my breath. Then, unexpectedly, I started to cry. Like in my dream, uncontrolled sobs shook my body, but unlike my dream, Leo was there. He put his arm around me, but didn't say anything. I appreciated him for that. He left me to myself, only giving me a silent message, 'If you need me, I'm there'. I controlled my tears, and smiled at him weakly. "Thanks."

"Hey, it's fine. What was that about, Al? What happened down there?" Leo asked, and for that moment, I couldn't have asked for a better friend. I told him all about my dream in the cavern, and the holes appearing.

"That was the cavern, Leo. I felt every thing in there, that man, my mum, and that weird person, they were all there..." I drifted into silence. Leo said something that sort of disturbed my peace, but I answered it all the same.

"What did the last person look like?" Leo asked suspiciously.

"She was made out of grass, and sludge...I called her dirt face...and...Leo?" Leo had gone pale. He was whispering over and over to himself, 'not you too, not you too'. His head was buried in his hands, and he was dangerously white. I placed my hand on his forehead. He was feverish, and was starting to zone out.

"Leo, you've got to stay with me, until we can get off the sewer." He was clearly in no state to respond. I hoisted him onto my good shoulder, until we got to the pile of rocks we came from. I lay him down, and I retrieved a blanket from the bottom of the backpack. Wrapping him tightly inside it, all I could do was wait. My healing abilities only went as far as to curing physical wounds. As soon as it came to a problem I couldn't see, I couldn't fix it. And unfortunately, this included one of the most common ones-a fever.

* * *

Soon enough, my patience was rewarded. Leo woke up, coughing and spluttering.

"Are you alright, Leo?" I asked, once he was safely sitting up.

"That's the question. Are_ you_ alright?" he asked back at me.

"Leo, I'm fine. But I don't know about you. You kept whispering 'not you too' over and over did you mean?"

That was when he told me the whole story of how his mom died.

*Skip whole part about Leo explaining the stuff about his mom and how she died.*

* * *

"I burned my own Mom to death." Leo finished. He looked sad, and before I knew it, a tear rolled down his cheek. Leo, always so goofy and jokey, was crying! I put my arm around him, just to show I was there for him, like he was there for me. He smiled.

"Thanks Al. I guess you deserve to know the whole truth. The thing is right before the shed lit on fire, a lady appeared before me. She was like what you described her as. I called her dirt-face too. That's when Mom died. Every time something bad happens to me, I see her. She's like a curse. And she keeps saying this one thing to me over and over. She calls me a hero, I don't know if she's trying to mock me..." He trailed off into the distance. I stayed silent too. We both needed some time to delve deeper into our minds. Soon enough, Leo wriggled out of the blankets, and said,

"Are we gonna stay here forever, or what?" That jolted me out of my trance, and I replied with a,

"Sure." Gathering all our stuff that wasn't squashed or burnt (or both), we stood up, preparing to cover our tracks, when a familiar blaring sound appeared behind us. The cops were back! We assessed the sound, and the cops were too close for us to gain any headway, so we stayed there to surprise them. Soon enough, they came to confront us, fat as ever. I could see Leo in the corner of my eye trying to surpress a giggle.

"Yup, you're the raccoons who broke into McD's the other day. What do you think you're doing?" I gulped. I had forgotten about that. All we had stolen from the fast food center was a happy meal and two bottles of mineral water, but the cops still treated it as an outrageous crime. I looked at Leo, with a raised eyebrow.

"Run?" I asked.

"Run," he confirmed, nodding. With that we took off from the rocks we were standing on, and fled into the greater unknown.

* * *

We were running like hell. A police car was following up on us, and it was closing in. Suddenly, Leo yanked my arm, and dragged me up a tree. Half way up, I began to climb myself. Like monkeys, we were soon at the top, camoflauged between the leaves. The policemen down below shaded their eyes, trying to find us among the Californian big leaves. Soon though, they gave up, and they left with a message in their walkie-talkie, 'Target has been lost, I repeat, Target has been lost.' and a muffled 'Roger that' from the other end of the line. Leo breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at me. I looked back, and grinned. The Leo I knew was back.

* * *

**Hi there! Sorry this chapter seems a little rushed, but there was an incident in the story I was aiming to get done in chapter four, so for my story to go to plan, I had to do that. Thank you so much for reading! Could you please also comment some ideas on what could happen next in the story, maybe even an OC? If you do can you describe them please, because I can then encorporate them into the plot. Thanks!**

**Yours most incredibly...yours?**

**MilkandCheez**


	4. Chapter 4

*One month later*

We were on the roof of our shelter. Leo was swinging his legs against the wooden slabs, making a thumping noise. I looked around. There was the bus station, with the final bus coming back for the day. The evening sky was setting, making way for darkness. About two weeks ago, me and Leo found this ramshackled, partly-built structure, so we worked together to try and re-build it. Leo seemed especially good at this stuff, and before long, the shelter was good as new. We had stayed here from then till now, and we weren't planning on moving. No-one could find us here, unless we wanted them to.

"Hey, Al, I'm getting kinda cold. I'm gonna go back down," Leo said. I nodded, and smiled. I didn't really feel like talking. I just sat there in awe at the night sky. Soon enough, though, I slipped off the roof to go and join Leo inside. He was already asleep, so I sat down opposite him, and I closed my eyes.

* * *

The sun was streaming through the cracks in the frame, right onto me. One eye slowly opened, then the other. Leo was still asleep.

'Boy, that guy is tired.' I thought to myself. I got up, and went outside. The morning sun was fierce, right in my face. I sat down right there and started to stare into space. I was becoming very good at that. Suddenly, I was jolted to consciousness by a poke from a thin finger.

"Hey, wake up," Leo smirked.

"I wasn't asleep..."

"I'm bored, Al," Leo said. I rolled my eyes.

"Whaddya expect me to do, eh?"

* * *

*FastPass to mid-afternoon.*

* * *

I was sitting in a corner fiddling with a broken piece of wood, and Leo was now the one staring into the depths of god-knows. Just then, a familiar blaring of horns seemed to be approaching us.

"That's impossible..." Leo said, uneasily. "They can't have found us here..." He was worried. I was too. No-one had come for us until then, so we were a bit rough. I rubbed the pendant around my neck, and it formed into a sword. I gripped the hilt, more for protection than anything else. We went outside to see if the police were there. That was a big mistake. There they were, ready to take us. They caught Leo off guard, and got him by the wrists. Leo tried flailing, and kicking out, but the policemen were actually good at what they did, not those fat bellhops. They tried to catch me too, but I was prepared. I pulled out my sword, and tried to protect myself. I managed, but while I was distracted, they pulled Leo into a van and locked the doors.

"LEO!" I yelled, my heart beating fast. No. They weren't going to take away my best friend. That's when Leo called out. I could barely make out what he said, but I think it was,

"DON'T LET THEM GET YOU, AL!" The van started.

"LEO! NO!" I could feel my morale going lower and lower.

"Come on dear, don't make this hard for yourself! We'll take you some where you'll be safe!" came a voice from behind me. It was the same police man who had grabbed Leo. I pulled a bit of wood off the shelter, and I flung it at the cop's head. It hit him right above the eye. While he was nursing his wounds, I ran. I ran like the world never existed, past shops and houses. My sight was blurry, but I knew where I was going. To the bus stop. I needed to get away from here. Every police station in California was on the look out for me, I was certain, so I needed to get out of the state. Soon enough, I found the perfect thing. A double-decker bus, heading for New York. I climbed underneath the engine, so no-body could see me. Once everyone was on the bus, and it had started, I slowly climbed to the back. I waited until the chaffeur person checked all the tickets, before climbing the rest of the way, on to the top deck. Curling up at the back, I was safe. No-one could see me, and I would make it to New York alive.

* * *

"All off board!" The driver yelled. I quickly climbed off the top, down the back, and I lightly jumped off the bottom. I was in New York, and I was finally safe. I made my way out the back, hoping no-body would see me, or at least, not notice me as anything out of the ordinary. Making it to the central (walking all the way) I leaned against a brick wall, and took a breath. New York was really crowded, so it would be dangerous to move about at day, so I searched for a place where I could stay until night fall. I found the perfect place. A brick dumpster alley way. I made my way behind a bin, so I could sit in some comfort while I waited for Dusk. Noises of rushing crowds faded away as my eyes closed, and I drifted into the realm of sleep.

* * *

I was butted awake. My eyes flickered, the world in front of me blurry as I adjusted to sight. There was a goat, and it had five udders...wait what? I rubbed my eyes, but it was really there. It butted me, and beckoned for me to follow it. Not having any thing else to do, I did so. It led me left, right, left again, straight, left. I could feel my legs giving way, but my patience was rewarded. A girl with black hair came running up to me, and caught my shoulder before I fell.

"Are you alright?" she asked. My vision cleared. She had short black hair, electric blue eyes, and she was dressed in a long black coat. There were two figures with blonde hair behind her, one with grey eyes, and one with blue eyes. The girl helped me get up.

"This is Annabeth," she said, placing her hand on the girl with grey eyes. "And this is Luke," she continued, nodding in the direction of the tall guy. "And I'm Thalia. Thalia Grace." I stood up, and replied,

"I'm Alex Maxwell." Thalia looked up and down, and then asked,

"How old are you?"

"Seven," I told her. She nodded and smiled slightly.

"That shouldn't be a problem," She said,"Annabeth is seven as well. You and her would get along well." I frowned, and said,

"How do I know I can trust you? And how do you know you can trust me?" Thalia talked to Luke for a while, before saying,

"You're one of us. I can sense it. Have you ever done anything weird, that other people don't like?" I nodded.

"I can heal people. And Mom say-used to say that I had really good aim, abnormally, I think." Luke stepped forward.

"You suddenly used the past tense." I looked down at my shoes, and replied,

"She died in the fire. I escaped." Luke nodded and said nothing more to me. He turned to Thalia, and I heard snippets of their conversation, words such as, 'demigod', 'powerful, and 'Apollo'. Annabeth sidled up to me, and said,

"Are you one of us?" I looked at her, and replied,

"It depends who you are..." I trailed off. Annabeth nodded, and retracted into silence.

* * *

*Skip whole run to camp thing. They are now at the camp border.*

* * *

Thunder crashed in the sky. Thalia had opened her shield, and had a wood stick ready. Luke prepared his golf club. Grover was...tap dancing? Annabeth was holding her knife across her chest, in an attempt to save her soul-ish, and me? I had my golden sword at the ready, my eyes brimming up. This sword reminded me too much of Leo. The cyclops came thrashing towards us, and Luke ran in front of me and Annabeth. Luke was a big brother to me, and me and Annabeth were like his little sisters. Though I still think he was pissed that he was the only boy. Thalia yelled to us from up front.

"Grover, take the others and get them to camp. I'll stay here to hold the cyclops off." I admired her bravery, and still do to this day. Grover put his arm around Annabeth, put his other hand on Luke's shoulder. He looked back to beckon me to follow, but I wasn't there. Quick as a flash, I joined Thalia down at the bottom of the hill, helping her fend off the monster.

"No, Alex, go with Grover and get to camp," she pleaded. I shook my head, but stayed firmly by her side. I was closer with Thalia than either Luke or Annabeth, and I wasn't going to lose another person close to me. Ferociously we battled, circling the monster, violently kicking ass. I finally struck a blow at the cyclops's leg, and it exploded into dust. However, it caught a final blow on me, to the head, and I felt myself collapse. Crumpling to the floor, I could hear the concerned cries of Luke and Grover, calling my name, then Annabeth, then the last thing I heard before I passed out was,

"Thalia!"

* * *

**Hi there! Once again, this is really fast paced, and I did some background research, and I found that Leo was actually 8 when his Mom died. It's been a while since I read the books, so when writing this, I may miss out some parts, and the events might be jumbled up, but I will try my best to keep the story on track. The rest of the story will seem a little fast, but ignore that, and I hope you enjoyed the story!**

**Yours,**

**MilkAndCheez**

P.S- There will be large time gaps, and quite a few time skips too in the middle of and between chapters. Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up. The world around me was blinding white. Hazy figures walked around, in orange t-shirts. Someone bent over me, and said,

"She's awake." My vision cleared, and I sat up. I appeared to be in some sort of bed, in a surgically clean place.

"Where am I?" I asked weakly, and a tall male with blonde hair walked up to me.

"Hi, I'm Liam. You were out for 6 hours. This," he gestured around him, "Is the camp-half blood infirmiry. My face morphed into a quizzical expression.

"Camp Half-Blood?" I asked.

"Yeah," Liam replied, "I'll leave you for a bit, and when you're alright, I'll take you to the big house to watch the orientation film. It's really bad, but it will explain everything. I'll leave now." And with that he turned and left. I turned to look on the other side of me. Luke sat there, face in hands, and then looked at me, distraught.

"Annabeth is up at the big house, with Grover." I feared the answer for my next question.

"And Thalia?" I asked. Luke turned away from me, looking at a tree in the distance. That was funny. I hadn't seen it before.

"Just before you struck the blow on the Cyclop's leg, it got a hit at Thalia. By the time you passed out, it was too late. Sh-she didn't make it, Alex..." I buried my face in my hands. I'd lost two friends now. Being separated from Leo stirred up again, and I broke down crying. Luke didn't tell me it was fine. He didn't tell me everything would be okay. We both knew that it wouldn't.

"Zeus came just after she died, and turned her into a pine tree, that one on the hill," Luke pointed, and his voice began to crack. My feelings were confused. Who was Zeus?

"So she can stand protecting us. We're safe because of her..." Luke roughly pushed his chair and got up, storming out the door. I didn't blame him. I would do the same, if only my back didn't feel like it was glued to the bed with 'Ultra painful superglue-for all your medical needs!'. I silently let tears wash my face, thoughts spinning around my head. If Leo was here right now, well if he was here, I wouldn't even be here! I would be in our little shelter, grinning while Leo told me all his corny jokes. And now I felt myself missing him more than ever.

Soon enough, I slipped of the bed, relived to find my back didn't hurt as much. I sat on the edge, swinging my legs, until Liam came over.

"Up and going? Great. Now we need to get you to the big house. Chiron will want to show you the orientation film." I gritted my teeth. How could he act so upbeat and jolly when someone had died? She was my, friend didn't sound right. She was more to me, an older sister I never had. He offered me his hand, and I hesitantly took it. From what I could tell, Liam was 15 or so. My stomach churned. I felt sick. Liam put his arm around me, and led me out of the building. Walking across a wide space with a basket ball court, he led me into a Victorian style four storey house. On the porch was a table of four. At one end was a bearded man in a wheel chair. He was placing down a card. Opposite him was a strange man in a Hawaiian shirt. He slammed his cards down, red in the face. The seats to either side were occupied by Grover and Annabeth. Grover looked scared out of his hooves, and Annabeth was sat on her hands, pale and frightened. I shuffled backwards a little. Liam patted me on the shoulder, reassuringly. He led me on until we were at the bottom step of the porch. Then he called out,

"Chiron, another new camper! Alex just woke up!" Liam yelled. The man in the wheelchair turned to look, and stood up. However, beneath him, there weren't regular human legs. It was the bottom half of a white stallion. I jumped back in surprise. Liam put a kindly hand on my shoulder, and led me forward to the door, in an older brother way. I looked up into his face, and he smiled back at me. I felt a wave of comfort rush over me. Most of the time, people forgot that I was only seven, and they expected me to look after myself, just because I grew up fast. Mom sort of understood, but she was busy most of the time, so I really had no-one. Until Leo, then Annabeth, Luke and Thalia, they were like family, but it still didn't feel the same. For once, I felt free. Like, really free. Free to do as I please, as my age, seven, and only seven. We went inside. The room was musty, and the lights were dimmed. A screen faintly glowed with a blue light. Liam showed me to a comfy beanbag next to a sofa. I sat down, and he sat down on the arm of the couch, with the remote. The screen suddenly changed, and the orientation film began.

* * *

*Que and end orientation film*

* * *

My head was dizzy. All of it was real? The Greek Gods existed. I was a demigod. I had powers. It made sense in a way. I could heal people by giving them my strength in the form of health. The lights went up. Liam's brown hair jiggled, and he said,

"Okay, let's get you to Chiron, and we can discuss who your godly parent is." He led the way and I timidly followed him. When we reached the table on the porch, Liam pulled me a chair next to Annabeth, and I sat down. She looked at me.

"Alex, do you know who your dad is, yet?" Annabeth asked. I shook my head.

"No. Your Mum?" I asked back.

"Athena, goddess of wisdom. Luke's dad is Hermes, and Thalia- her d-dad is Z-zeus-s..." she broke down sobbing. I put my arm around her, and at that moment, we were more than friends. We were sisters, and we were in the same position, together.

"Luke and Thalia knew all along, didn't they..." I asked. Annabeth nodded. The fat guy in the Hawaiian shirt coughed.

"Alright, you nasties, lets get to the problem at hand. The sooner we get this done, the sooner this can be over, and the sooner I can get out of this dump." I wasn't going to ask.

"Alex, you were wearing that pendant when we found you, and you haven't taken it off. According to Luke, you were armed on the hill. May I see your weapon?" I nodded, and pulled the pendant off my neck. It instantly changed into a sword, and Chiron nodded, and said,

"Imperial gold. May I see?" I nodded, and handed it to him. As soon as he touched it, it turned into a lump of gold. He didn't look surprised.

"Can only be weilded by a designated demigod. Impressive." He continued to stare at the lump of gold with calculated curiosity.

"Excuse me," I began. Chiron came out of his daydreams.

" Yes, my child?"

"There is an engraving on the side." I transformed the gold back into a sword, and then showed him him.

"The blessed of Apollo will weild this sword to greatness..." he murmered under his breath.

"I can also do this weird thing where I cam heal people with touch. I think..." Suddenly, and bright ball of fire- the sun- appeared above my head.

"That," said Grover, who hadn't said much at all," would be claiming."

Chiron stood up. "All hail Alexandra Maxwell, daughter of Apollo."

* * *

I sat in my bunk, thinking. Everyone else was asleep, but I just couldn't. The day had been weird. I was assigned a bunk in the half empty Cabin 12. It was the middle of winter, so there were only three other people apart from me and Liam. I was given my timetable, with weird activities like sword fighting and pegasi riding, but I figured they were demigod things. My thoughts slowly drifted towards Thalia. Was her death in vain? It felt so difficult to sleep, and enjoy waking up, when Thalia was asleep as that pine tree forever. Was that just stupid of me to rush to her 'aid'? Was it because of me that she died? If only Leo...I missed him more than ever now. Without thinking, I got out of bed, and walked to a drawing desk. Lighting a candle, i got a piece of A6 paper, and got to work. People say I have photographic memory. And now, when I looked down onto the the piece of paper that my pencil was flowing over, the likeness of Leo Valdez with his head back in laughter stared back at me.

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter took so long to publish. I was over at my friend's for about a week, so I didn't have my laptop. I couldn't be bothered to type it out on my phone's tiny keyboard, and it's been killing me. But here is chapter five out! The rest of the story is starting from The lost hero, as the 'arrive at camp' bit is over. Thanks for waiting!**

**Yours in demigodishness,**

**Peace out from MilkandCheez **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, chapter six is here! This chapter is starting from the first camp-half-blood scene from the lost hero. It won't be word perfect, and I probably will get things wrong, as I won't be referring to the book. The credit goes to Rick Riordan!**

* * *

I was firing at the archery range, arrow after arrow, each splitting the last, when I heard a massive splash from the lake. Shouldering my quiver and arrows, I ran to the source of attraction. Pushing my way through the crowds, my face fell when I got to the front.

"Annabeth! Will said you could_ borrow_ the chariot, not _destroy _it!" I yelled.

"Sorry, Alex. I promise, we'll get it fixed." I nodded, wondering what my bro would say if he saw this. Will Solace was generally more laid back that me, but when it came to the chariot, he was a fu- kindly one. I scanned the chariot, or what was left of it. Annabeth was with Butch, but there was no sight of that green-eyed dork.

"Didn't find Percy?" I guessed. Annabeth nodded, nearly on the verge of tears. I was really worried by now. The first few days, oh come off it, he'll find his way back. But he never showed up. I was starting to doubt if he was alive, even. There were three other people on the bank of the lake, being wrapped up in fluffy towels. One had blonde hair, with blue eyes, really shocking blue. There was a familiarity about it that I couldn't place my finger on. A girl was next to him, with choppy brown hair. I couldn't get a good look at her face, though, as it was covered by the towel. My eyes flicked to the third boy. My chest tightened. Those black curls, the pixie shaped ears and turned up nose... my hand went straight to the hand drawn sketch in my pocket. Before I could get a good look at him, Will pushed his way to the front. His face fell.

"Hey, Annabeth, I said-"

"Don't worry, Will, I've told her. They're getting it fixed."

"And Percy?" he whispered to me under his breath. I shook my head.

"Still no sign. I'm really worried Will." Suddenly there was a collective gasp. I glanced up, and the third boy had a symbol on his head. It was a flaming hammer, the symbol of Hephaestus. There was no doubt about it. He was exactly who I though he was. Leo. It was Leo. I turned around, taking a few breaths, before walking to the lake, and sitting with my legs dangling in the water. My shoes were off, and the cold sensation of rushing water enveloped my toes. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my sketch. It was a bit smudged, and the paper was slightly brown over the years, but the sketch was clear enough. I let the feeling come over me. After 9 years, I would be seeing him again. 9 whole years. I closed my eyes, and let the realisation sink in. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me.

"Hey, Alex!" Will's voice drained over me. "Son of Hephaestus, Leo Valdez. I've done most of the tour, but I've gotta bandage Butch up. He has a scratch on the thigh. Leo just needs to see his cabin, and then that'll be good."

I got up, and faced him. "Yeah, sure. I'll take it from here." Will beamed at me.

"Great!" he rushed away, in the direction of the infirmiry. I turned and faced Leo. He stared back at me, realisation dawning on his face.

"Alex..." I threw my arms around him, and whispered in his ear,

"Leo." He returned the hug, and then it felt so good to be with him again, and just know we were back together, after 9 years, the relief spread through me. We broke apart, and I studied him, my arms on his shoulders.

"You've changed." I decided, finally. He relaxed, and replied,

"Yeah,I didn't recognize you at first." I understood what he meant. I _had _changed. Not just emotionally, but physically, too. My blonde hair was more of an aubern , and instead of my old straight planks, I had waves. I was still short, though, for demigod standerds. I was only 5'6, the same height as Leo now.

"I can't believe it. The Gods are real, and I thought I would never see you again..." I nodded.

"I thought you might be a son of Hephaestus, you know with your fire and everything." I sat down, and he sat next to me.

"But there's one thing I have to tell you-"

"Yeah, the curse on Cabin 9, I know, Al," He broke in. It felt so good to hear him call me Al again, so familiar, something I could grasp.

"Not that, Leo, well sort of, but don't let anyone know you're a fire user. Your power with fire, people shouldn't know just yet. When ever a fire user turns up, something bad usually happens. Cabin nine won't take it well, they'll think it's part of this 'curse'..." I trailed of. Leo looked at me, and then burst out laughing.

"What," I asked him.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that, we haven't seen each other for nine years, and this is probably the weirdest way to meet up again." I sighed, relieved that the ice had broken.

"Yeah, I just don't know where to start," I replied.

"How about at the beginning, or...the middle?" Leo suggested. I nodded, and started to explain.

"After you got kidnapped by the authorities, oh gods that sounds weird...well I crept onto the back of a bus to New York. Once I arrived, I met Annabeth, Luke and Thalia. They got me to camp, and I've been here since, really. You know the sword," I pulled it out, " Well turn out I'm a child of Apollo." Leo looked at me.

"Wait, Annabeth, as in really scary, i-will-gut-you Annabeth?" I snorted and said,

"Cut her some slack. Percy's been missing for months now. She was really upset, Leo. They had started dating a month and a bit before Percy disappeared."

"What happened to the others?" Leo asked, "You know, Luke and Thalia?"

"Thalia died and got turned into a pine tree, by her dad Zeus. That's the first bead on my camp necklace, see," I showed it to him, "The next year after Percy arrived, we were on a quest, to retrieve the golden fleece, to cure Thalia's poisoned tree. The fleece did it's job too well. It brought Thalia back to life. She joined the hunters of Artemis the next year, and now she's the head of the lineuents."

"And Luke?" Leo asked. I bowed my head.

"He'd always had a grudge against the gods. He blamed the Gods for all his problems. Eventually, he went against the gods, joining Kronos and his forces to destroy them. At the very end, he allowed kronos to posses him, but he realised that he was being brainwashed. To dispel the spirit of kronos, he stabbed himself, and the spirit of kronos scattered so far that it will hopefully never come back." I stared back into the distance. Leo looked thoughtful, then said,

"Is that the sort of stuff that happens on a day-to-day/month-to-month basis?" I smiled bitterly, and replied,

"Yeah. What about you?"

Leo took a breath, and then started. "They put in a home again. I ran away. They put me in another. I ran away again. That's what I've been doing all this time. Running. I came to the wilderness school, where I met Jason and Piper." I held my hand up, and said,

"Wait. _Wilderness school?!_" Leo grinned and said,

"Where the children are the animals. Anyway, I was at that school, when Annabeth and the Rainbow Pony dude found us. I think you can guess what happens from there." I shook my head.

"Rainbow pony dude?"

"Hey, he had a rainbow on his arm, he was petting the ponies, and he was a dude! I can't say more than that!" Leo laughed, with his head thrown back, like a familiar tugging memory. I pulled out the brown paper, and studied to differences. Leo looked over my shoulder. He raised his eyebrow, and said in surprise,

"You drew that?". I nodded, and replied,

"Yeah. When I was seven, my first night here. People say I have a photographic memory." He just stared in silence at the picture, and said finally,

"You actually kept it? All these years?" I smiled and said,

"You were the first friend I actually had, Leo." He stared into space, not knowing what to say, when I jumped up.

"Hey, Will told me to continue the tour, so are we going, or not?" Leo grinned, and said,

"Lead the way."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven already?!WHOO! I guess I'm just trying to fit in as many chapters as I can, before school starts! Any way, here is chapter seven...Hope you enjoy! Also could you please tell me in the comments if I should still send Leo to Calypso's island? Because she doesn't really play any role in this fanfic, but I'm not exactly sure what to do instead. Thank you so much, and any feedback is welcome!**

* * *

I was tapping my feet at the entrance, with my arm on my quiver, in case someone tried to steal it. Or maybe it was just fanciful thinking. Nyssa was with Leo, telling him about camp, and what it was like to be a cabin nine-er. Suddenly, Layton Gladstone yelled,

"Duck!". I immediately crouched down. Darn. Stupid Layton, and his stupid cantering centaur. I got up after the craze spree was over, and looked around. No-body was harmed, except for Leo, who had little needles sprouting out of his chest. I snorted, and was about to go and help him, but Nyssa was closer. Instead, I went over to the centaur, and looked at the bow string. How did they not see such an easy problem?

"Hey, look, Layton. The bow's string is at the opposite trajectory firing range to the centaur's fingers. This got it lodged into the mechanism, so the thing is going haywire. Dude!"

Layton grinned at me sheepishly, "Yeah sorry/thanks. How are you such a good expert on archery? I thought you were a swords person. But then again, you're a ch-"

"Hey, Dude. I use both." I gave him a glare that made him say, "Ah, yeah, right...". Leo suddenly exclaimed,

"But, dude! It's a bronze dragon! How cool is that?" Nyssa looked at him darkly.

"Do you think we want to do this? We have no choice Leo, the dragon is dangerous, and we need to catch it." I sighed. They were talking about the rouge bronze dragon running rampant in the woods.

Suddenly the conch horn blew, and Nyssa yelled,

"Cabin nine, fall in!" Then she looked at Leo, and asked "Leo, you coming?" Leo smiled faintly, and replied,

"Yeah, I'll come in a bit." Nyssa nodded, and led the rest outside. I stayed put.

"Leo what's wrong?" I asked him.

"Thomas Fayner. The last person to be a fire user, and he set off the great fire of London. Dammit, something bad is gonna happen now." I went over to him, and put my arm around him. Leo put his palm out, and curls of flames rolled across his hand.

* * *

The campfire was dancing high. Red flames were licking the chill night air. I was up at the front with Will, singing the stupid song about the Gods going to war in grandma's underwear. I was strumming the guitar chords, and Will was singing. I could have sung too, but I refused. Most people though it was because I couldn't sing, but I knew different. It was because I was too powerful. I thought over it, as I absentmindedly strummed chords. Every child of Apollo had a certain thing they specialised in, but me, I did everything, and I was powerful, super powerful, in everything. And this just troubled me. What had the sword said. 'The blessed of Apollo shall weild this sword to greatness." I never knew what that meant. It haunted me. Was I the special one? What made me so special? Self-absorbed in my own thoughts, I didn't break out until I played my B chord flat. That brought me out of my trance. Suddenly, Rachel, collapsed. Two Hermes kids caught her, and a third brought out a stool. Green mist swirled out of her mouth, and circled her body. Her mouth opened, and a prophecy of Delphi emmited.

In a eerie, multiplying voice, she said,

"Child of Lightning, Beware the earth,

The Giant's revenge the eight shall birth,

The forge and dove shall break the cage,

And death unleash though Hera's rage,

The blessed of sun shall ride along,

And end it all with one cursed song."

Rachel closed her eyes and collapsed. Two Demeter kids carried her away. There was an awkward silence, and then Chiron stood up.

"It has been decided. This is a quest to save the Queen of the Gods. According to the prophecy, the leader of this quest is a child of lightning. Which is strange, as it's Hera we are freeing, and there is no child of Zeus at camp now." I stood up and face Chiron.

"Hold up, "I said. "What's all this about rescuing Hera? And the child of Zeus part could be referring to Thalia Grace, couldn't it?" Chiron walked forward into the flamelight, so he could be seen.

"Yes, you could very well be right, Alexandra." I flinched when he called me by my full name. "But Thalia Grace is no longer protected by camp. She is under the care of Lady Artemis. As for rescuing Hera, the queen of the gods has been kidnapped. We must send a party of four to free her." Suddenly, it clicked.

"Jason, take out your weapon," I told him. He nodded, and then took a coin out of his pocket. Flipping it, he caught a javelin when it returned. Annabeth looked surprised, and said,

"I thought you fought with a sword?" Jason winced.

"It landed on tails, I think. Same coin, long range weapon." There was a murmur of approval from the Ares cabin. He shot it up to the sky, and there was a blast of lightning. Half the amphitheatre was in ashes.

"A little overkill, maybe, but we've got the point." Said Chiron. "All hail Jason, Son of Zeus-"

"Jupiter." Jason corrected. Chiron looked confused.

"Roman?" Annabeth stood up, and said,

"It makes sense. He kept using the Roman terms." Chiron looked mildly annoyed.

"All hail Jason, Son of Jupiter, Lord of the sky-" I stood up.

"And the brother of Thalia Grace."

"Sorry?" Chiron asked.

"It makes sense. When I first saw him, there was a familiarity about him, that I couldn't put my finger on. Then when I mentioned Thalia, it all came together. I can tell. Also, look at his eyes. I can see Thalia in them!" I told the camp my logic. Chiron raised his eyebrows in approval.

"It is decided. Jason Grace shall lead this quest, and he will choose his accomplices." One camper from the Apollo cabin stood up.

"Hey, Annabeth, you should go! You've had the most experience!" Annabeth shook her head.

"I don't have the best relationship with the queen of the gods. I will not go on a quest that does anything to her benefit. Besides, I'm going to look for Percy in the morning."

"A forge and Dove..."mused Chiron. "A child of Hephaestus." Nyssa stood up.

"Beware the earth means to stay off the ground. The flying chariot is broken, and the pegasi are being used to search for Percy. As substitute head counceller of the Hephaestus cabin, I volunteer myself for this quest. I can get something for us to use." But then Leo got up.

"I have and idea for transport. It needs to be me on this quest, I have this gut feeling. I volunteer my self, or whatever else you do...". I was mentally kicking him, and trying not to smirk at the same time. Jason studied him carefully.

"We started this together, and it seems only right that you come along. If you can find us some transport, then you're in!" he said. Leo fist pumped the air. "Yeah!". Nyssa stood up again, and put an arm on his shoulder.

"There will be hardships, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive." She warned. Leo looked taken aback. "Oh..." he said. Then he seemed to realise he was the boy who was afraid of nothing. "I mean...Oh, cool! Suffering! I love suffering! Let's do this!" I couldn't help myself. I snorted, causing a few weird stares coming my way. Jason looked confused. "We still need to find the dove. That's Venus's symbol, isn't it?" Annabeth nodded, and said,

"The goddess of love. In her Greek form, she's known as Aphrodite." Drew stood up. I instantly recoiled. That girl just gave of bad vibes. With her too perfect make up, and her Aphrodite charm, Drew Tankata was the source of attraction to most boys, but the source of utmost annoyance to me.

"I'll go! I guess Jason's the hero for this quest," she gave him little kissy noises, making Piper groan, "Someone has to build stuff, and get their hands dirty, " She gave Leo a repulsive look, "But you need a little charm on your side. I can be real persuasive. Jason, everybody knows I'm yours!" Drew started twirling her hair, and posing like a model, drawing cheers from the crowd (except the sensible ones). Piper stood up. I glanced over at Leo, and I could see him hammering his fist against his open palm, like, You go Girl! Seeing this, I somehow found myself rooting for Piper too.

"I need to be the one to go on this quest. I don't know why, but I just have a gut feeling." Piper said. A lot of glances went her way. Drew snarled.

"Oh hun, you just don't get it! Do you even know how prophecies even work? I'm a child of Aphrodite, I get to go!"

"No. I need to go!" Piper insisted. Suddenly the camp turned towards her, nodding. I had a feeling I knew who her godly parent was. But the sign got there before I did. Piper was bathed in a rose gold light, and when the mist dissapated, she was left looking stunning. Her makeup was flawless, and her brown hair was plaited over her shoulder, princess style. Around her head, there was a typical Greek laurel wreath, except it was made out of diamonds and gold. Instead of her t-shirt and jeans, she was wearing a traditional Greek sleeveless dress, with plaited straps, and a golden rope belt. At her side was her dagger's sheath, oiled and cleaned. She looked at the gasping crowd.

"What?" she said, oblivious to anything happening. Annabeth pointed to her sheath.

"Piper, look in your dagger." Piper immediately pulled out her gleaming dagger, and recoiled. She gasped in horror, and said,

"This isn't me! What just happened!?". I looked at Leo, who was starring, flabbergasted, and then Jason, who had his jaw hanging down in awe. Annabeth was frowning, like she just needed to figure out how this was Piper's mom, and then it would get her university degrees. Drew looked astounded/horrified. I grinned to myself. There was an expression you didn't see every day! Jason took a step forward.

"Piper, you're a knock out!" he said, and I face palmed. That was so not smooth. Chiron faced the whole camp.

"All hail Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, lady of doves, and Goddess of Love."

Annabeth walked out of the Athena section, and said, "It's decided. Piper is the dove of the prophecy." She shot Drew a glare that got her to sit down. "Now all we have to do is find the blessed of Sun. That means a child of Apollo." Even as she said it, I could tell she was looking at me. The whole camp was looking at me, and they knew I knew it.

"What?" I yelled. Leo, Will, Austin and Kayla snorted. Annabeth just walked up to me.

"It's you in the prophecy. Your sword proves it! 'The blessed of Apollo shall weild this sword to greatness, yada yada." I went red. I didn't really want the whole camp knowing about that.

"The prophecy is talking about you, Alex. It's you in the prophecy. You need to go." She nodded at me. I sighed, and said,

"I volunteer for this quest, though that has literally been taken out of my hands." I was pretty bummed at this, but when your dad is the god of prophecies, you've just sometimes gotta accept that fate is fate, and three evil grandmothers with scisscors and yarn could be pretty damn annoying.

"Very well. We now know the four that will embark on this quest. We will need you to be ready by morning tomorrow. For now, goodnight!" Chiron announced. I sighed, mentally preparing myself for the task ahead. The crowd was dispersing. Annabeth walked up to me, and whispered,

"Leo Valdez. You know him. Not from now, but from before. You know each other like you've had a history together. " I sighed, and said,

"How could you tell?". She raised an eyebrow, and I continued. "You know after you found me, when I told you I had run away. I told you I had been in California for months. That was true, but I didn't tell you I was with someone." She shook her head, and replied, "That was Leo, wasn't it." I nodded.

" My mom had died in a fire. I was on the roads for three days, before a strange couple came to pick me up. They said they had been expecting me. They took me to an Orphanage. That was where I met Leo. The very next night we ran away. We were on the run for about 1 and a half months...we didn't have that many monster attacks, only one. A hell hound.. Anyway. We found a hide out, where we spent the next month. That was when Leo got caught. I managed to escape them, but since that day, I never saw Leo again. Until now." I looked at her, expecting her to yell at me for keeping it from her. Instead, she just sighed, and said, "Well glad you told me that now." With that she walked away.

* * *

**Alright, I know that was a bit rushed chapter, but it's also quite long, so I hope that made up for it. I'm not gonna bore you with a long author's note.**

**yours,**

**MilkandCheez **


	8. Chapter 8

The camp fire was empty now. Me and Will were packing up the microphone and speaker set, when a whirl of blazing light started to form. Instinct told me to shut my eyes tight, and I put my hand in front of Will. I counted to ten, before opening them. Standing in front of us was a blonde dude, around 21, in a white tank top, pencil jeans and ray-bans. I mentally rolled my eyes, before saying,

"Lord Apollo, " at the same time that Will said, "Dad,". He chuckled, before saying,

"Drop the formalities. Now if you don't mind, William, I've got to talk about something with Alexandra. Now, run along." Will started to say,

"But the mike hasn't been-" Apollo clicked his fingers, and the microphone set packed it's way into it's black case.

"You were saying?". Will shook his head, and carried the bag to the store room.

"Now, Alex, I hear you're going on a quest to save Hera." I was half tempted to say, 'And you can't come!' but I kept my mouth shut.

"I have some toys for the ride." He continued.

"Toys?" I asked. Apollo handed me a quiver, full of arrows, each with different colors.

"Pick out the green ones," he said. I complied. There were five.

"These are exploding arrows. You can use them only once. The blue ones?" I counted them. Seven.

"Those are enchanted arrows. They will always hit their target, even if they have to chase them around a tree. They will always return to you, and they can never be broken. Now the red." I pulled them out. Suddenly, a horrible track played, making me want to run away.

"What are these?!" I yelled, while trying to cover my ears. Apollo smiled dreamily into the distance.

"Those, Alex, are my best recordings. Sweet home Atlantis, Daphne on my mind...Use them, whenever you need. If you concentrate hard enough, they will return to you. Farewell, my daughter." And with that, he disappeared. I put the screaming arrows back in my quiver, sighing. That was incredibly random. But Apollo was the god of the future. If he thought I needed them, then there was a reason he gave them to me, so I had to keep them safe. Shouldering my guitar, and the new quiver, I walked back to my cabin. I went into the councellor's room (I forgot. I never told you. I'm head councellor.), and I put my stuff down on the bed. I went over to my cupboard, and pulled out my magical first aid kit. It was one of those belt ones that you clipped around your waist, and it had endless medical supplies, but 2 years ago, I realised that I could store as much stuff as I wanted in there, and I could carry it all, without making it heavier, or larger. Laying it flat on the bed, I went over to my cupboard again. I pulled out my normal quiver. It was filled with celestial bronze and imperial gold arrows for fighting monsters, but it also had normal wooden and metal arrows for practice. I put both quivers into the belt, and then I pulled out my bow. I didn't put it in the belt, as I would need it in the morning, but I left it lying on the side. Now packing my clothes, I wondered if I was doing too much. But then I convinced myself that how ever much I prepared myself, things always went wrong.. Grinning, I was just about to lie down on the bed, when I heard a tapping on my window. Walking up to it, I saw Leo's face glowing in the moon light. His face was wearing that impish grin I'd always remembered. He gestured for me to meet him outside. I clipped the belt around my waist. Shouldering my bow, I opened the window, and climbed out of it.

* * *

"Oh, good, you've come armed." he said. I raised my eyebrows.

"What the hell are we doing, Leo?" He just grinned.

"You know Nyssa was talking about a loose bronze dragon?"

I felt my heart sink. "Why do I have the feeling this is something to do with transport?" He nodded at me, then ran into the direction of the woods. Clutching my bow for comfort more than anything, I followed him into the unknown.

The trees were dark. No light was coming through them. The only source of light was the reflection of my sword, which I had taken out. Leo lit his hand. There was a comforting glow, enough for me to take my hand of my bow, and to put my sword back in pendant form. Leo looked around, like he was looking for something.

"What are you looking for, Leo?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Traps. Nyssa said they would be setting up traps, so the dragon could get caught in one." We didn't talk anymore, but Leo was constantly feeling around to search for anything that might help catch the dragon. I was helping, picking my way in the darkness. Suddenly, I got the whiff of something familiar, yet not so familiar.

"Hey, Leo, I think I've caught something." There that scent was, stronger than ever.

"Where?" he asked. I pointed diagonally infront of me to the left, and then I took off. I could hear Leo's feet scuffling behind me in the leaves. I smiled. This was a bit like old times.

* * *

The trap was set, and _dang_ it was good. There was a fifty-pound tin of motor oil, with a little bit of tobasco sauce. A fan was working on all four sides, blowing the scent of the mixture in all directions. There was a a pressure plate on the bottom, so as soon as anything as heavy as the bronze dragon went onto it, an unbreakable net went over it, trapping the dragon in. Cabin nine could then come in with acid lasers, and metal cutters, and finish the impossible job of destroying the dragon once and for all. Ingenious. But then, this was the children of Hephaestus we were talking about. They could literally do anything, give or take. Leo walked forward. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Leo, it might be dangerous." He shrugged, and said,

"You are looking dangerous in the face," before he took off. I had no choice but to follow him. He walked over onto the programming. It was simple, but deadly. I decided not to walk onto the pressure point, in case both of us being on there triggered the trap somehow.. Minutes passed, and nothing happened.

"So...Leo. Why did you bring me along?" I asked. Leo shrugged.

"Oh, you know, just so I could have someone who knows how to use a sword." I raised my eyebrow, and said,

"Jason can use a sword. I don't see him here." Leo grinned, and replied,

"Ah, you got me. I guess I just miss hanging out with you, even though it was for two and a half months, on the streets, and that too nine years ago. But when you're a runaway, you sorta have to cherish the friends you get. You, J ason and Piper are really the only ones who understand me. Ah, not even Jason, I guess. He's got amnesia. And Piper doesn't know about me really. You know, Al, I think you're the only one who even knows about my past."

"Leo, how many times did you run away?" I asked him, concerned.

"Six." I frowned.

"That sounds a lot like Percy-"

"Jackson?" Leo cut in. "Yeah, Al, I've heard about him, but if you don't mind, who is he?"

"Percy Jackson, " I said, flourishing my arms. "The son of Posiedon lord of the Ocean, Saviour of Olympus, and The biggest dork you will ever find in the seven seas. Oh, sorry, bad pun. But when he went missing 4 days ago, it was really hard on Annabeth. They had started dating in August, and she's been spending every waking hour searching for him." Leo nodded, and then commented, "You sound like you know him well."

"Percy was like a brother to me. I've known him since he arrived at camp, 5 years ago." Suddenly, the grip on my sword became tighter. "Leo, something's coming. Stay on guard." I got into my brace. That's when I felt it. A metallic ringing. Every time there was a loud _thud, _the earth below us shook. I braced my self further. Then I saw it. Aproximately 50-tons of bronze machine, with large polished scales, and ruby eyes. I could see Leo's face fall.

"It doesn't have wings...". The dragon snorted, and fire spewed out of it.

"Uh, yeah, I'll stay back, just cause I'm not fire proof." Leo rolled his eyes, and said,

"Oh light of my day." Then the bronze dragon spewed fire dousing Leo completely.

"LEEEOOOOO!" I yelled at the same time he yelled,

"Hey, Man!" from within the flames. So that was alright. When the flames cleared, Leo was left intact and unscathed, except for some charring on his t-shirt. His eyes lit up.

"I think I know what's wrong with it!"

"What?" I asked.

"I need to get onto his back, though." I thought for a moment, before pulling out an enchanted arrow, and a long reel of bandages.

"Keep him distracted for me, Leo." He complied, by waving his arms about in the air. I snorted, and then got to work. Tying one end of the bandage to the arrow, I fired it, and caught onto the end. As I suspected, the magic of the arrow was able to keep me in tow, without bending or sagging. Once I was directly over the dragon, I let go, which landed me in the middle of the dragon's back. Grinning, I pulled the arrow out of my quiver (It had returned to me) and then I untied the bandage. I put my hand down.

"Hey, Leo. Are you coming up?" He ran over to me, before taking my hand. I pulled him up, while he said,

"Those were some skills, Al!" I nodded back to him, and then he climbed onto the front. Leo started feeling around the scales on the dragon's back, until he found one that moved.

"I've found the control panel!" He yelled, elated. Then his brows creased

"What's wrong?" I asked. He turned around.

"See this control disc? It's corroded. I don't know how to fix it, and I can't make a new one in time for tomorrow."

"How about you try and clean it up a bit? That way, we can use it until we get somewhere where we can fix it properly!" He gave me a grateful smile, and then got to work.

* * *

**Hey! Sorry there was no author's note at the start.**

**Leo Parry-By the time Leo gets sent to calypso's island, They would be well away from Canada, and it would take them ages to get back. But I like the idea. Thanks!**

**Could I please have more replies? So I can try and solve this query before I get to it!**

**yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	9. Chapter 9

**hI tHeRE. Sorry if the chapters seem too rushed, but there are some certain things that are not too important to the story, so I just rush past them. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The sun was rising. Oranges and reds were being cast all over us, as Leo connected his final piece of wiring.

"Ta~da!" he yelled, jumping off the dragon's back. I followed suite.

"Hey, buddy, you good?" The dragon's teeth and eyes whirred.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Leo decided.

"Now for some wings. You think you'll be able to make some in time?" I asked. Suddenly, the dragon bucked us, like it wanted to take us somewhere. I looked at Leo, and he shrugged.

"Get on his back?"

"Get on his back." We climbed the scales. Since he wasn't a crazy metaloid anymore, he allowed us to do this, only giving us gentle reminders that he couldn't wait all day. Once we were on his back, the dragon navigated his way through the trees, until we reached somewhere. Where? I dunno. We couldn't see it much from here, but it looked like a bungalow with a flat roof. Leo jumped off the dragon, and ran to investigate. I had nothing better to do, and I followed him. The dragon followed us until the building. It was old, and looked in ruins. I thought it would collapse any moment, but Leo went in. Sighing, I trailed behind him, tired of rushing about for the night.

Inside was the strangest place I'd ever seen. It was worn out and dusty, but you could see that the place had once been filled with tables, forges and shelves. At the very back, there was a banner that said,

"Bunker Nine." Leo read out loud. I creased my eyebrows together. Where had I heard that before?

"There was a legend about an abandoned building in the woods called Bunker Nine!" I remembered, suddenly. "I didn't think it was true, though. Woah!" We stared around in silence. Leo walked over to a table at the side, and rummaged around it's contents. I went over to join him. He was shuffling through dusty files, when his eyes fell onto a blueprint. Our eyes widened in surprise. I stepped forward to take a closer look. It was a plan for a flying ship. At the very front-

"Is that..." I stared closer. It looked like the bronze dragon. I studied it through. It _was_ the bronze dragon, but with the head. At the bottom, there were three words. '_Prophecy? Unclear. Flight?_'. I looked at Leo. He turned to face me.

"What do you think it could mean?" I asked. This was starting to get exciting. Leo shrugged.

"I dunno, Al, but for now, we need to find wings. It must have led us here to find something. I think it's the wings." I nodded at him, and we split up to search. I looked through the cupboard closest to me. I didn't find bronze wings, but I found something else.

"A tool belt." Leo looked up from the desk he was ransacking.

"Huh?" I picked the tool belt up from the shelf, and showed it to him. He walked over, and decided to feel around. He stuck his hand around, and searched. He pulled it out again.

"Empty." Then I stuck my hand in, and said "Screws.". As I expected, a hand full of screws came out. I grinned at Leo.

"This tool belt is magical. It's like my first aid kit." He frowned at me, and to explain, I pulled my hoodie out of the belt. Leo's eyes widened.

"How did you do that?". I shrugged.

"Magic. This belt gives me endless medical supplies, but I figured I could store as much stuff as I wanted in here too. Then I could carry it around without making it heavier. I think the tool belt works like that too, except with tools and stuff." I chucked it to him. "You're the one who discovered this place. It's yours." He caught it.

"Thanks!" Leo clipped the belt around his waist. "Well, let's continue this search, shall we?". I nodded at him, and we split off again. Minutes passed, and finally, Leo was rewarded.

"Jackpot!" he yelled. I walked over.

"Found them?" I asked. But I didn't need an answer. There they were, majestic and polished, ready for use. We carried them outside, where the dragon was ready. We worked until the sky was blue, and we could hear campers rushing about and doing their daily tasks. Once the dragon was ready and looking oh-so-majestic, Leo climbed on.

"You coming? It's time to go." I smiled, and climbed on behind him. The dragon took off, and we soared into the air.

* * *

"Don't shoot!" I yelled. It seemed like a good way to go.

"Why not, punk!" yelled Clarisse. "It's dangerous."

"Not anymore!" Leo yelled back.

"You sure about that?" I whispered in his ear.

"Sort of." He whispered back. "95 percent."

"Oh haha, very reassuring." I jumped of the dragon just before it hit the ground, and went over to the front. Lots of campers were aiming at it, but the look I gave them cut them short.

"It has wings." Nyssa said. "It never had wings before." I glanced at Leo. We both came to a silent conclusion that we would not mention the bunker.

"We found the wings lying around in the woods."

"And the fire-breath?" Nyssa asked, still amazed "How did you get past that?" I let Leo decide this one. It was his choice to not let people know about his Pyrokinesis(fire ability).

"Alex stayed out of the way, and me? I just got lucky, I guess. Jason, I got you your ride." Jason walked up to the front, and his face broke into a grin.

"Valdez, you get us a ride, you're in." I couldn't explain how happy I was that Leo was coming. Nyssa was good, I guess, but any day, I would choose Leo.

"What are you naming him, Leo?" Piper walked up to the front. Her magical hairdo had still not gone. She looked truly stunning, even though she tried to live it down. Leo put his cheek on his fist, and the thought about it. At last, he seemed to come to a final choice.

"I'm gonna name him Festus." Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Festus? You know in Latin, Festus means happy? You want to go around saving the world on happy the dragon?"

"Yup," Leo said, popping the 'P'. Jason broke into a large smile.

"Festus it is, then. Lets go!"

* * *

The four of us were seated on the back of Festus, Leo at the front, me next, Piper behind me, and then Jason. This was it, I thought. The reality was actually dawning on me. This was the moment. The moment when we go soaring away, away to save the world (again). Festus flapped his wings once, then twice, then we were in the air, off to save the Queen of the Gods (and Goddesses.)

* * *

**Sorry that chapter was slightly short. I just wanted to start the beginning of the quest on a new chapter.**

**Also thank you for the four followers! I know it may not be a lot, but I was only expecting to get one. That too, from my friend, after I bullied her long and hard into doing it(still haven't tho.) It really makes my day(S).**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG! Chapter 10 already?! This is literally an epic milestone for me. I've only written two stories before(both deleted). The first one I made with 4 chapters(reallyy short) before I gave up. The next one, I didn't even make two:D. I hope I'll manage to continue this, as I already have the story planned! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The afternoon sun was blaring down on us. I could feel my eyes drooping, but I forced myself to stay awake. I would go to sleep when I wasn't needed. I stared down below. The busy, day-time America was all to interesting from above. It was a bit like going on a high ride, and staring down below, except you weren't buckled down, and you could fall at any moment and die. I grinned to myself at the very depressing thought of demigod pancake with imperial gold sauce. Leo looked around, and grinned at me, before asking Jason,

"Hey, Grace, where's our first stop?" Jason thought for a moment, before replying.

"Quebec. We need to talk to Boreas about where to find Hera." I snorted.

"Boreas? Who is he? The king of boring?". Piper shook her head.

"I can see why you and Leo get on together well. You really capture each other's personalities!" I gave Piper a friendly smile. Leo, we had known each other from when we were seven, Jason, I had helped him find part of his identity, so it was inevitable that we gelled well, but Piper? We weren't on that level yet. Oh well. It would happen. In the meanwhile, I looked ahead.

"How far away are we?" Piper asked.

"I don't know exactly how fast this thing is going, but I should think about a few more hours." Piper nodded, and then said,

"But won't we be seen?"

"There's mist." I replied. "It's a sort of veil separating the mortal world from the magical one. It'll probably make us look like a small plane, or something."

"Like how we believed that Jason was at the wilderness school the whole time. Fake memories," Leo reasoned. I nodded.

"About that. Jason, the shirt you were wearing when you came to camp, do you have it with you?" Jason pulled it out of his bag.

"Yeah, here it is." I took it from him. It was purple, with a golden wreath on it. In the center of the circle, it had the letters 'SPQR' on them. My eyes widened. A rope tugged in my chest, and I passed out.

* * *

_My eyes opened. I was no longer sitting atop Festus. I was in a dark cave, and I was leaning against a hard, sharp surface. Wincing, I got up. There was something familiar about this. Then I realised that it was the dream I had from a month ago. I hadn't thought about it much, as demigod dreams were demigod dreams, but now I realised there was a reason I was being shown this dream again. Suddenly, the lighting went up, and the scene changed. I was in a pavillion- a dining pavillion. There were people flocked around in it, all wearing purple shirts, Just like Jason's, I realised with a jolt. They were laughing and messing around and generally were having a good time. There were hazy figures swooping around everywhere, bringing plates of food. This reminded me so much of the mess hall at camp. The scene zoomed in on to two people at the entrance. From the expression on their faces, it looked like they were having an argument. The girl, who had dark, queen-like features, and dark hair plaited over her shoulder, said something._

_"Look, Octavian, I know what it says in the rules, but I have faith Jason will return. He is a much respected praetor here, more than you will ever be!". The...boy(?) opposite her, who was thin with scraggly blonde hair, and for some reason was carrying a... was that a teddy bear(?) replied,_

_"Reyna. You have had faith. But for how long now? It has been weeks since Jason disappeared, and he has not returned. I have consulted the Gods, and they do not know if he is alive!". Reyna's face curled into a snarl._

_"Did you really? Honestly, Octavian, you are a sorry decendent of Apollo!". With a wave of horror drenching over me, I realised that this weirdo looked like a watered down, unhealthy version of Will Solace._

_"Reyna! You have been praetor alone for too long. The rules clearly state that an auger can ascend to the rank of praetor once the place is vacant!" Reyna swirled her cloak._

_"The rules also state that they cannot do so, unless an already ranking praetor promotes them. That I won't do, not over my dead body!" She turned her head. "We shall talk of this no more!". She walked away. Octavian was seething. I could see nothing good coming out of this. The scene zoomed out, until all I was shrouded by was darkness. Suddenly, a burst of light broke through, and I knew that if I was really there, I would be blown out of my essence. A figure dressed in white, with a wreath of green around his head stepped forward._

_"My daughter, do not speak of this to anyone. You and you alone must know the truth until Hera has revealed it all. She steps in a dangerous gamble." Apollo swirled away, and the dream stopped._

* * *

I felt dizzy. I raised my head, and realised i had passed out in front of me, onto Leo. I looked around me. Piper was looking at me, relieved.

"You're alive!" she said, sighing. Leo turned around.

"How long was I out?" I asked him.

"Two hours," he replied. I did a double take. Two hours! But it felt like minutes!

"What happened, Al?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Just an old dream." I felt really bad about keeping this from them, even Jason from his identity, but I kept my mouth sealed. There was a reason it was just me being shown this.

"We're nearly there, Alex," Jason said. I smiled at him.

"So you figured out where it was?" Piper nodded.

"How long will it take us?" she asked. I thought about it. Usually, by plane, it would take around 1 and a half to two hours to get to Quebec, but since I was out for two hours, we were obviously not going at the same speed as a plane, so I estimated a ToA.

"We should be there in about 30 minutes," I reasoned. Piper nodded, and then asked Leo,

"Is she right?". Leo turned around and gave us his goofy smile, and then said,

"Bang on. It says on the GPS that-"

"Hold up!" I said. "A GPS is a technology device, so it should be going haywire with four demigods' aura around it. And also, how the hell does it work on a 50-ton bronze dragon?" Festus creaked. Leo patted his head.

"Hey, Alex, Festus is quite sensitive about his weight, and the GPS is a Godly Positioning System. I found it attached with wiring into the main circuit system. But yeah, it says that we should be arriving in half an hour or so. In the meanwhile, why don't we entertain ourselves!"

* * *

**I want to do an end authors note, but I don't know what to say. So...See ya!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, I'm back! School starts soon, so I have that much time to fit in as many chapters as possible, but after that, I might not be able to update regularly. But please bear with!**

* * *

We were about to decend. The brilliant lights of Quebec, Canada shone like a beacon, and down below, the active city buzzed with life. Piper was leaning back against Jason, when Leo thrust his hand forward, and said,

"There!". And sure enough, there was a massive castle of ice, floating in the air.

"How does it not fall?" Piper mused out loud.

"It's like Mount Olympus," I explained. "From below, it looks like a normal cloud, but in reality, it's the peak of a mountain hanging off the 600th floor of the Empire state building." Piper sat up, shocked.

"Wait, WHAT?!" she screeched. "But the Empire state building only has 120 floors!". I grinned at her in a, 'You-won't-get-it' kind of way. "Yeah...no." I said. Piper looked like she had eaten a sour grape.

"That shouldn't be possible," Leo reasoned. "The weight of the mountain should be way to heavy, according to the tracjectory laws of-"

"Yo, Leo." I inturrupted. "When has our life ever had anything to do with science anyway? There is living proof!" I waved my arm in the direction of the ice castle, which was rapidly approaching us, or us to it. Leo grinned at me sheepishly.

"Yeah, you're right, Al. Dang, you're smart." I remembered that's what exactly I thought about Leo the day after I met him, but I said nothing, just smiled.

"Alright, crew!" said Jason. I jumped (or as much as you can jump when you are sitting atop a bronze dragon). I almost forgot he was there. Almost.

"We're here, but there are supposed to be two guards, sons of Boreas, and I don't see them anywhere. Should we wait to see if they're here, or should we just go?"

"There will be no need!" said a voice. I looked to the left. Two bulk of people came walking in front of us. They were floating dudes, with white wings. The first one was dressed as your typical jock, with a hockey jersey, too-small sweats, and shin-pads, with rotten brown trainers. He grinned at us in pleasure, which was funny to look at, as he had lost most of his teeth. I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing. The dude behind him was obviously trying to outshine his buddy in the clothes department. He was wearing a silk shirt, with the first few buttons undone, revealing his hairy chest. I forced down the urge to gag. He was wearing a blazer on top, as well as business trousers, with curly-point shoes. His hair was gelled back into a sorry attempt at a quiff. He was the one to step forward.

"No clearance." He grunted. Leo leaned back, onto me, making me fall back onto Piper slightly.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Destroy?" the dude in the hockey jumper said.

"Nah, bud, no-one's doing any destroying today," I said, crushing his hopes into a very large pouty face.

"You don't have clearance to enter on your flying missile," the first dude said. Leo patted Festus' head.

"Aw, c'mon, why not?" he asked. The dude shook his head.

"No landing, unless it's an emergency."

"Destroy?" the hockey dude asked hopefully. The other one nodded.

"Wait!" yelped Piper. "This is an emergency." I could tell she was putting all her charm speak into it. I silently nodded in approval. The more stylish dude turned around to look at Piper, his face morphing into one of romance. I turned around, and covered my eyes with my arm. Some one patted my back. It was probably Leo.

"We need to see Boreas, it's really urgent, and we really need you to help us!" I smirked underneath my jumper sleeve. I removed my arm to see how this would turn out.

"The girl is pretty- I mean, the girl is right. Names please?" the SO (stylish one) asked.

"First up," Jason said. "Who are you?". They nodded at each other, and then the first dude said,

"This is Cal, short for Calais, and I am Zethes, short for Zethes. We are our father's gatekeepers. Names?"

"Jason," Jason said. Their faces fell.

"No you cannot be. Our Jason is dead. He died a mortal death. You are not him." said Zethes. Jason nodded.

"No I'm not. I'm a different one." Zethes smiled, which was a truly disturbing sight.

"Yes, you are right. Our Jason had much more style that you." Jason grumbled,

"Gee, thanks." I stifled a snort. Zethes walked up to Piper, and tried (and failed) to smile romantically.

"And what is this pretty girl's name?"

"Piper," Piper said. "And once you have our names, you will let us go through." Charm speak again. I liked this. Zethes nodded in approval.

"Piper. That is a pretty name, Piper." He turned to Leo.

"And what is your name, o-short boy." Leo looked taken aback. I could tell. Being called short really hit home court.

"My name is Leo. But Super sized McShizzle is good too," he replied. Calais looked taken aback by this very long name. I grinned, thinking of an evil plan.

"No, we will call you Leo. Ice is very messy when it shizzles." He turned to look at me.

"And what is this not-so-pretty girl's name?" he asked me. I wasn't fazed by the name.

"My name is Alexandra." Leo looked confused as to why I used my full name. The others didn't even probably know Alex was just a nickname. I grinned at Calais. Leo saw what I was doing, and gave me his trademark smirk of approval.

"Why don't you try saying that, Cal?" I asked the big guy, playfully. He screwed his face up, attempting to do the impossible.

"Come on, say it with me, Al-ex-an-dra!" Cal opened his mouth.

"Al...en...a.." He looked at his brother(?) hopefully.

"Destroy?" Zethes shook his head. He then turned to us, but why did I get the feeling he was talking to Piper the most?

"You must excuse my brother. He cannot say words with more than two syllables." Calais nodded, and to prove his point, he said,

"Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" I shook my head at Leo, and he grinned back at me.

"Way to go man! That was three words!" Calais grinned at him proudly. Zethes slapped his side.

"Fool. He mocks you. Not to worry. Come, dragon people, and you shall meet our father."

* * *

The doors opened wide enough to let the dragon through. I was getting a bad feeling about this. The dragon flew through the entrance, and we jumped off. The hall was a place of mass grandeur. There was an ice chandelier hanging proudly from the center, and there were two grand staircases curling up to another floor. My hand grabbed on tighter to my belt. I reached inside, to feel the familiar grip of my guitar, and quiver.

"Fire is not good." Zethes said, in a horrible forced French accent, different to the one he was using outside. "The dragon must be deactivated." Leo frowned.

"Hey, man, can you not say that. Festus is a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept. But not to worry! Uncle Leo has another solution!". I snorted.

"Uncle Leo? For real?". Leo gave me a weird look.

"Would you prefer Father Leo?"

I shook my head in disgust. "Nope, Uncle Leo suits fine. Father Leo makes you sound like a priest or something." Oh gods. I wished at once I had said nothing. Now the disturbing image of Leo wearing those white dresses and a cross around his neck, with his curly hair long, and glasses was stuck in my mind, and it would never go. Ever. Leo nodded, and then said,

"Back to the point. Al, remember when we were fixing Festus, we found all those buttons in the control panel?" I burst out laughing.

"Like the one that shot out water balloons!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh boy, Juniper's face was priceless!"

"Wait, the green lady?" Leo asked. I nodded vigorously.

"Yeah. If Grover had seen that, I wonder what he would have thought of his girlfriend then!"

"Grover?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, a satyr. He's the one that brought me, Annabeth and Percy to camp. Seriously, he is nothing like Coach hedge, like his only weapon in a set of reed pipes. A great guy, really." Leo nodded.

"Back to the point. One button, well, watch for your selves.". With that, he slid open a panel, and pressed the one near the left. Suddenly, the dragon started folding up, the scales sliding on top of each other, creating a sort of case around the wiring. I whistled in admiration.

"Go, Repair Boy!" I said. He frowned at me.

"I can't be bothered to think of a good nickname for you right now, but trust me I will." He then tried to pick the 50-ton box up. His face went red. Then he stood up, and whispered to himself,

"Should be here somewhere," and fiddling with the controls at the back, a handle appeared at the top.

"Ta~da!" Leo grinned, flourishing his arms. "The world's heaviest carry-on!" He looked around for approval, but when his head turned in the direction of the staircase, his face fell dreamy, and he tried lugging the suitcase. It was still very heavy, but he was managing it inch by inch. I turned to look at the apple of his eye. I almost staggered backwards at the sight. She was the strangest human-goddess(?) I had ever seen. Her hair was raven black, but her skin was pale white. With her red, plump lips and her cold blue eyes, she was certainly pretty, but she wasn't what I would call 'attractive'. And our boy Leo Valdez had fallen for her. I had to literally turn around, and put my hand over my mouth to try and stop myself from laughing, but it was of no use. I doubled over, my hands on my stomach, bellowing like no-mans business. I looked up (or as much as I could) and I saw everyone's confused stares on me. Then Piper seemed to make the connection, and she let a smile of amusement take over her face. Jason smiled too, but a smile of confusion rather than amusement. Gradually, i slowly stopped laughing, and my grin was replaced by a large smirk.

"Demigods, I hope there's a reason for you to come here, because otherwise, my father will be very angry." Jason stepped forward, and said,

"I'm Jason Grace, son of Jupiter-"

"A son of Jupiter, hmm?" the goddess looked over him, like she was checking him out. Piper had a look of rage on her face, and Leo had gone completely red. My smirk grew wider (a feat of the impossible), as the young lovers' faces went redder. "We have been waiting for you," she continued. She turned towards Piper.

"Aphrodite spawn." Piper stepped forward.

"Piper McLean, pleased to meet you." She let sarcasm lace these words, as Leo gave her an annoyed look. The goddess nodded, oblivious to this. She turned to me.

"And you, girl, who are you? You radiate warmth, something that is of high displeasure to my father."

"Alex Maxwell, daughter of Apollo. So I'm stuck down here." I rolled my eyes at her. She nodded curtly, before walking slowly over to Leo.

"You. You smell of fire. I thought it was the dragon, but now I realise the fire is on you. Who are you, boy? I child of the south wind, spying on us?" Leo put his hands up in surrender.

"Friendly mechanic. Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus." He grinned at her. I quickly stepped into his rescue.

"And he probably smells like fire, because he has some burns from staying up all night fixing our dragon. I bet I smell like fire too. That is, if fire has a smell." I raised my eyebrows. The goddess nodded.

"You do. But it is different with him. She jerked her thumb towards Leo. Jason quickly stepped forward.

"He's not a fire guy. Tell them Leo, Tell them you're not a fire guy!". I looked at Leo. He looked back at me.

"Umm..." He said.

"Alright. Me and Leo-stay down here. Jason, Piper, go up there, have all the fun. Is there anything else, miss highness, or will that be all? Hm?" I rasied my arms in mock surrender. The goddess glowered at me coldly.

"Be careful, daughter of Apollo. You must tread carefully here, in a place where you do not belong. I do not forget an insult easily." She nodded to Jason, and ignored Piper. "Come, Jason grace, son of Jupiter. My father has been waiting." She began to lead him up the stairs.

"Hold up." Leo said. "Waiting for him. Like in a good way;You'll shower him with gifts, or in a bad way;You wanna kill him." The goddess smiled cruelly.

"That, Leo Valdez, will depend on my father's will." She began to take them further, when I stopped her now. She was beginning to get really annoyed this time.

"Who even _are_ you?" I asked. The goddess nodded thoughtfully, before saying,

"That is true, young mythology does not mention me much. I am too cold for them." No Kidding! I wanted to say. But I kept silent, letting her go on. "I am Khione, Goddess of Snow."

* * *

**And cut! Sorry t took longer than some, but it turned out to be quite a long chapter, but school started half way through me writing this, and I've been busy 'first day' stuff yada yada. But I'm waking up extra early to be able to update, so you might not see much change from the day to two day schedule!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I have an announcement to make. I have a Youtube channel called OneVeryCrazyDemigod. Yeah, I know, a little obsessive, but I'm me, ya know? I've literally just started, and I'll be uploading random Fandom (that rhymed!) related stuff. Please go and check it out (and it would mean the world to me if you subscribed!) Thanks for listening(reading) and without further yadda-ing, let's go!**

* * *

I was sitting with my back against the wall, while Leo was...somewhere, getting cleaned up. I didn't really want to go, instead, I just pulled some face wipes out of my belt, and taking of my jumper, I wiped my face, arms and legs (I was wearing shorts). Pulling my hoodie back on, I noticed that the walls were reflective, and turning around, I saw that the wall I was leaning against was much more than the rest. I could see myself, as clear as a mirror. Standing there, I slowly started to take in the changes the years had brought over me. I was no longer the little girl that had run away from the orphanage. I knew that change had been brought on me, but it had never fully sunken in. My hair was a hazel-nutty brown, wavy, reaching down to my waist. It was pulled into a messy low pony-tail, with the shorter front strands falling over my face, hiding half my eye. How ever much I tried to pull it back, it always fell back into place. I shook my head and sighed. My hazel brown eyes reflected with the light of the ice-room. My skin glowed with a year round tan, and I had freckles splashed all over my face. I was a tomboy-you could tell by my outfit. I was wearing a black hoodie, that said 'Imagine Dragons, Smoke+mirrors' on the back in fancy white writing. The hoodie was baggy on me, but it was still my favorite. I was also wearing denim shorts, with a black Pegasus stitched in the corner. Around my waist was my first aid kit. Without thinking, I pulled out my guitar, and I sat down, ready to tune it. I played the lower 'E' string. My face went sour. That was really out of tune. I turned it left a little. Still a little flat. I turned it another 45 degrees. Perfect. I moved onto the 'A' string. That was really loose. And so on. When I reached the 'B' string, Leo came waltzing through the door, in his singed clothes, but his hair and face much improved. I looked down at the state of my own clothes. The shorts had a little motor oil stain on the left wing of the Pegasus, and on the roll of the shorts, but they weren't as bad as Leo's. Oh no. I grinned.

"Looking nice and ready for then love of your life?" I asked, innocently.

"How could you tell?" Leo asked, genuinely shocked.

"Are you kidding, bro? It is literally the most obvious thing in the world." I shook my head. Sighing, I pulled out a beige wind breaker, with a fresh pair of jeans. I never wore things that were too girly, so Leo would be fine.

"Here." I said, chucking the clothes at him.

"Thanks!" he said, surprised, before catching them, and saying, "Wow, you sure are not a girly-girl." I raised an eyebrow, and gestured to the stuff I was wearing, before shrugging my shoulders. Leo laughed. It warmed me to hear that, a familiar memory, something I could grasp.

"You really like Imagine Dragons, huh?" I nodded, then shooed him away.

"Go and put them on," I said, before taking my guitar back, and committing to tuning it.

* * *

Leo was sitting next to me, fiddling with some screws, and a piece of metal, while I was just strumming some chords to the song **'Light 'em up' by Fall out Boy**. I was moving my fingers to the ninth fret, ready to do a hammer-on onto eleven, when Piper and Jason came down the stairs. Piper was trembling, and Jason had a worried look on his face. I stood up, putting my guitar and pick away.

"What happened, guys?" I asked. Khione stepped forward.

"You may have twisted my Father around your little finger, but I will not be so easy to manipulate. Tread carefully, son of Jupiter." With that, she swirled away in a mini blizzard.

"Oh man! Why'd you have to piss her off! I was gonna make her prom date!" Leo said, majorly annoyed. I put on my most i-did-not-say-this-to-really-annoy-you face, and said,

"Hey Leo, what if that was the reason she was really pissed off?" Leo gave me a hurt frown, and I just smiled sweetly after him.

"Guys, we need to go," said Jason, urge in his voice.

I nodded, "We figured that much, but to where?". Jason began to go in the direction of the suitcase.

"I'll tell you on the way." He ran out of the door.

"That's our cue to follow him out." I said. And with that, we all trooped after him with the utmost confusion on our faces.

* * *

We were sailing through the sky at top speed while Jason was telling us what he meant.

"When I was in front of Boreas, I had a sort of vision slash memory. It was a place with a ruined house. I think it was somewhere in California..." My face went pale, and my heart started beating really fast. I had sudden flash backs of running in the park near the Sonoma Valley, while my mum held her arms out, and then the fire, smoke building up in my chest, fleeing on the road for days, Leo and me in our shelter...

"Hey, Alex are you alright?" Piper asked concernedly. I turned around. Both she and Jason were looking at me with worried faces. I shook my head.

"I'm fine guys," I smiled at them. Leo reached his arm back, and squeezed my fingers. I put my hand on his as thanks. He knew.

"Jason, what in California?" I asked, prompting him to continue. He took the hint, and said,

"A house. I saw wolves. I think that's where Hera's being kept." I looked at him.

"You've been there before?" I asked. He frowned, saying,

"I think so." I nodded, remembering that his memories had been stolen. And that was another reason that this quest was so important. Jason needed his identity back. Leo yawned. I tapped him, so he would look at me.

"Hey, Leo, you should get some sleep." He shook his head and was turning back, but I pulled him back and said,

"No seriously, Leo, you're not a machine. You need rest. Go to sleep now. Trust me, me Jason and Piper will watch out." I nodded at him, and he gave me his 'Santa's Latino elf' grin, before closing his eyes, and slumping back into my lap. I heard a laugh. I turned around to see Piper laughing.

"What?" I gave her an annoyed look.

"You two are so damn cute!"

"Aphrodite." I said under my breath, turning back around again. I continued to hear peals of laughter from behind me. I rolled my eyes, and looked down at the boy in my lap.

* * *

Suddenly, Festus started squeaking, and clicking. I put my hand on Leo's shoulder to wake him up.

"What the heck's happening Leo?!" I yelled over the gradually increasing sound of creaks and groans. He turned back at me and said with a tired grin,

"Nothing!" I slapped his shoulder blade.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Valdez!". He grinned at me sheepishly, and said,

"If we're going like that then, Maxwell, I think we might be about to crash." As to prove his point, we suddenly jerked downwards. Piper started to scream at the same time I yelled,

"Houston, We have a problem!", before pulling out my bow.

"Now is not the time for archery practice, Al!" Leo yelled back at me. I ignored him, pulling out my enchanted arrow, and notching it. Firing, I waited before putting my hand around my quiver. After about 30 seconds, it returned.

"Guys, not to worry, but brace your selves for impact about," The dragon crashed, "NOW!". I gritted my teeth, as I hit the ground. Pain flared through my body, and I heard a sickening crack from my shoulder, where I landed. Wincing in hurt, I clutched onto it, as I scanned my surroundings. Festus had apparently chucked us off his back before finding a (probably comfier) place to crash. I was in a dark room, with a bit of light coming through the hole in the roof we created. I could see a tall figure in the background, with a slightly shorter figure leaning against him. At first I thought it was Jason and Leo, but with an embarrassed jolt, I realised that it was Jason and Piper. Leo was walking towards them. Not wanting to miss out on the buddy powwow, I walked over to join them. Leo looked fairly unscathed, Jason had a bit of a gash on his cheek, but Piper,

"Oh, Gods! What happened?!" I asked is concern. Jason put his hand protectively over her ankle.

"I think she broke it, Alex." I moved my arm forward to heal her, forgetting about my shoulder.

"Ow!" I winced in pain, while my knees buckled. Leo was by my side in seconds.

"Al, what happened?" I winced again. I was doing a lot of that.

"I think I dislocated my shoulder. I don't think it's too bad." I suddenly went pale, as a wave of duper-hurt came crashing over on me. "On second thoughts," I decided, "I don't think I'm doing too good." I reached with my left hand into my belt, and pulled out a bandage patch, with medical tape, plus an antibacterial wipe. I handed them to Jason.

"Here," I said. "Use the wipe to disinfect the gash, then place the patch down, securing it with the tape." Jason chuckled.

"Wow, Alex, you sound like an instruction manual." He did as I told him, and then asked,

"What about you?". I thought for a minute, before pulling out a roll of bandages.

"Hey, Repair boy, I'm gonna need your help." Leo grumbled, but came over to help me anyways. I got him to hold down the bandage, while I wrapped it tightly around my shoulder, immobilising it for now. I moved it forward and back. It still hurt a little, but I could bear it. I bent over Piper, and placed my hands over her ankle. I started to mutter a spell in Ancient Greek, but for the sake of the story, it's here in English.

'Oh Mighty Apollo, bring your blessings upon this being, to ensure her safety of peace and mind.' Or some similar gibberish. I just have the Greek memorised. For good measure, I added a, "There might be red carpets involved." at the end. It seemed to do the trick. I felt over her ankle.

"The main break is fixed, but she will still need a cast." With that, I pulled out some Nectar and Ambrosia, as Piper was waking up.

"What happened?" She asked groggily.

"Life happened." I told her back. "Festus crashed, and-"

"Oh my God, Festus!" Leo cried. "I was so worried about you two that I forgot!" He ran off.

"Your ankle is broken. I managed to fix the break, but the casting will still hurt. Here, take a little bit. A lot will literally burn you up, but a bit can heal you." I fed some to her. She nodded.

"That feels a lot better." I nodded, and then said,

"What color cast do you want?" I asked.

"Light pink?" she asked.

"Sorry," I said smirking. "Alex's GP consultant only does white!"

"Why'd you even ask?" Piper groaned.

"To annoy you." I set to work I 'medical taped' the bandage down on her bony bit, and then slowly worked down her ankle. In the end, I held it gingerly in between my hands.

"I'm gonna have to set it, okay?" I asked. She nodded, and immediately let out a yelp of pain and I forced the bones back into position. When I looked up, I saw that she was clutching tightly onto Jason's fingers. I grinned, and said,

"I'm gonna go look for Leo. You two have fun here! Who knows, you might even-"

"Alex!" Piper yelled red in the face.

"Okay, okay..." I ran out the door, smirking like the god of smirks (probably Hermes).

* * *

Festus had crashed in a dried up porta-potty site, or what was left of it. The fall had disrupted the order, and there was plastic every where. The place was ruined, but by no means had it gotten rid of the smell. I pinched my nose. Leo was kneeling by Festus, taking a look inside the control panel, trying to fix something. Then, for some reason, he slapped himself sharply on the cheek.

"Stop it, Valdez! No-one's going to play violins for you just because you're not important! Fix the stupid dragon!" I stepped forward, and Leo turned around.

"I could. I do play the violin. Or I could get Kayla to." Leo went red.

"Sorry," he muttered. "You weren't supposed to hear that." I walked over to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Leo, you _are_ important. To Piper, to Jason, even more so to me. Don't think other wise. You know, with out you fixing Festus, we would never have even gotten this far on the Quest." He looked at me.

"Yeah, and now he's broken."

"Oh come on! Don't be such a Wimping Willy! If anyone can fix him again, it's you, Leo. I know you can." I nodded at him. He smiled weakly at me, and said,

"What about Jason and Beauty Queen?" I grinned, and replied,

"Oh, I gave them some time 'alone'. Also, you lost the bet!" Leo looked confused, but there was some of that lively energy back in him again. I was smiling at him.

"Wait, there was a bet?"

"I made one, remember? If you couldn't get me a nickname by the time we got to another place, and went out again, then I won." Leo raised his eyebrows.

"I don't remember. Actually, wait... a name Apollo-related." Then he grinned at me, and said,

"Oh, I don't know, _Doc_." I groaned.

"Wow, Leo, you are so not creative." I shook my head, and then said, "What's the problem?" Leo shifted over so I could see.

"There seems to be some sort of fungus on the wires, that's jamming it up." I reached my hand forward.

"No, Al, it might not be safe!" Ignoring him, I touched the wire. I grinned at him.

"Leo, it's not fungus, it's ice! Your _prom date _froze the wires!" Leo groaned, and then said,

"I am so over her." before putting his hand on it.

"We need to unfreeze him. I don't think fire would be a great idea, cause you could like burn the wires or something." I went over to help him. When it came to body heat, Apollo kids sort of went right up there. Soon the wires were defrosted, and Fesus glowed with ruby eyes. I grinned.

"See, Leo, you did it!" then walking up closer to him, I stared at him in the eyes. "Never say you aren't important, ever again, Valdez. You are, you know. We all care about you. You _are _important." Suddenly, I felt a spray of something small, like dirt, on my back.

"_She's right, you know, Leo." _I turned around. There she was, in all her ground-muck glory.

"You." I snarled. "What the hell are you doing here, dirt face. Don't you think our lives are already messed up as it is? What do you get, poking your muddy nose into our business?" I put my hand on my pendant, ready to put it in sword form, but something stopped me. I turned around, to see Leo, on the verge of crying and going all-out-bersek. He was trembling, fists clenched, and he had gritted his teeth. I had never seen him like this before. There was a burning fire in his eyes (not literally), and he was breathing hard.

"You killed my mom." he said, seething with anger. My heart jolted, and I remembered what he told me.

* * *

_"Right before the shed went up in flames, there was this weird person." Leo said, scared. I nodded._

_"What did she do?" I asked. Leo looked around us, to make sure no-one was listening, and then he leaned in close, to say,_

_"She told me I was a hero, and some thing about helping her rise..again." I nodded some more. I didn't tell him that this is exactly what she told me too._

* * *

Dirt face opened her ugly mouth.

"_You are important, Leo. In some ways, you are the most important of the eight. You are my hero, Leo. Leave the others. They never cared for you. Walk away. Leave them. When I rise, you will be eased of your burdens. You will tread lightly on the earth. You are the strong link of the team, but you could also be the weakest." _

"Hey!" I stepped in between her and Leo. "That's not nice, ya know!"

_"Ah, Alex. You are one of the eight. You will be the one to make the sacrifice to me, in ways you do not know. I am feeding off your weaknesses. In these fifteen years, have you experienced anything but sorrow? Your mother died when you were young. You are one of your father's many children. How can you survive like this?" Anger seeped over my face._

"For one, I can get rid of you!" I picked up a porta-potty toilet seat, and flung it at her. The dirt lady disappeared into thin air. Leo gave me a grateful frown (off doing the impossible), and said

"Wow." I nodded, and walked over to his side. He hung his shoulders in down. I put my hand on one.

"Leo, most times, it's easier to get over something if you talk. But I think what you need to do is just accept the fact. She's gone Leo, but it wasn't your fault. It was Dirt face. Tell yourself that. Take your anger out on her, not yourself. If you start doing this to yourself, who knows what would become of you. You just have to let it sink in." I let him process it. Finally, he said,

"Thanks, Al, that helped a lot." I smiled at him, and asked,

"Have you told anyone else about this?" He shook his head. We stayed there, just standing there in silence.

Suddenly, there was the sound of two heavy items like trucks getting slammed together. Leo got up, a worried look on his face.

"I think we should go and check on Pipes and Jason. C'mon!"

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm back(I never died). I literally can't get on top of homework, and it's quite soon into the year, ya know. I was up until nine last night doing math, so yeah. I will try my best to update, but it might be hard.**

**Stay safe, and don't become demigod pancake!**

**MilkandCheez**


	13. Chapter 13

It was dim. I could make out lots of bulky shaped that looked like pieces of machinery, but I couldn't be sure. Leo was next to me, pulling out his hammer. I pulled out my bow and quiver. We silently looked around. The catwalk that we left Piper and Jason on was empty. Somewhere below, on the factory floor, Piper's voice cried out, "Leo, Alex, help!" . But me and Leo looked at each other. That couldn't be right. How could Piper have gotten off the catwalk she landed on with a broken ankle? We quickly slipped behind a cargo container, and then hiding behind similar pieces of junk and machinery, we slowly made our way to the center, behind a robotic arm. Piper's voice called out again, but less certainly this time, but very close, "Guys? Are you there?"Leo peeked around the arm. I couldn't bring myself to. Suddenly, it sounded like something was getting up. I turned to look.

"Told you it was nothing." said something. It's voice was way to deep and feral to be human. The thing opposite him got up too. There was something in between them. I couldn't see what. The second one said,

"Leo! Alex! Help-" then his voice changing to deep and feral like the first one. "Bah. There's no-one out there. No demigods could be that quiet, eh?"

"Probably ran away, if they know what's good for them. Or the girl was lying about two more demigods. Let's get cooking." Suddenly, there was a burst of white light, and the scene was alight. There were two figures either side of the fire. There was a...spit, I think. In horror, I realised there was a truck engine dangling above it. And there were two figures dangling from it. They were Jason and Piper! Jason looked alive enough, but he was unconscious, and there was a large red welt the size of an apple above his left eye. I winced. That must have hurt. Next to him was Piper, wriggling from side to side. At least she was alive and conscious. They were wrapped in bandages like cacoons, and they had gags over their mouths. It might have been funny, except they were about to get roasted by...it hit me. _Monocle Motors._ How did I not get it before? The cooks were Cyclopses. Three massive humanoids were gathered around the fire. The two on either side of the fire were around ten feet tall, and they were very hairy. One was wearing an uncomfortable looking chain-mail loin cloth. The other was wearing a fuzzy robe made out of...was that fibre insulation wire? Any ways, I'm pretty sure these two beasts wouldn't have made it into my top ten wardrobe choices. Yes, dear reader, _I have standards! _The ginourmous humanoid in between them was facing away from the arm we were crouching behind. They were wearing a metal...dress? and they had dark hair. I think it was wires and bolts in their hair. My legs started quaking. I'd seen some weird things so far, like a metal dragon that liked Tabasco sauce. But this was different. These were flesh and blood 10-foot monsters who wanted to eat my friends for lunch. I was so terrified I could hardly think. Even having Festus here-Cyclopses were immune to fire. He wouldn't do any good. Our weapons looked tiny against these humanoids. This is what Dirt face was talking to Leo about. Leaving me, Piper and Jason to be at the mercy of the cyclops menu. Leo took his bag, and slowly started unzipping it. I grinned at him. He had a plan. The cyclops in the chain mail loincloth walked over to Piper, who squirmed and tried to headbutt him in the eye. I smirked, and did a silent, small fist pump.

"Can I take the gag off? I like it when they scream." He directed this question at the third cyclops, who was obviously the leader. The crouching figure grunted, and the cyclops pulled the gag off Piper. She didn't scream. She took a shaky breath, trying to stay calm. Meanwhile, Leo was pulling stuff out of his tool belt and backpack. I crossed my fingers, hoping he would hurry. We were running out of time. He also had to stay really quiet. It seemed impossible that he could do anything without making a lot of noise. The cyclops in the fuzzy robe poked at the fire, and said,

"Scream, girl! I like funny screaming!". When Piper spoke, her tone was calm and reasonable, like she was correcting a naughty puppy.

"Oh, Mr. Cyclops, you don't want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go." I grinned. Piper rocked. Loincloth scratched his head.

"She's kinda pretty, Torque. Maybe I should let her go." Fibre glass robe guy seethed with rage.

"I saw her first, Sump, I'll let her go!". I felt myself making a sour face. Torque and Sump. Who actually came up with these names?

"Fools!" The third Cyclops growled, getting up. With a shock, I realised that the third Cyclops was a female, and an ugly one at that. "That girl is Venus spawn. She's charm speaking you!". This lady was bigger and beefier than both Torque and Sump (again, what with the names?), and several feet taller. She was wearing a chain mail dress-a muumuu. Yeah, the lady cyclops was wearing a muumuu. Her greasy black hair was matted into two pigtails, that were woven with copper wires and metal washers. Her nose and mouth were smashed together, as if she spent her free time ramming into walls, but her single red eye glittered with evil intelligence. She pushed Sump to the side, and Torque made no hesitation to get out of the way.

"Please ma'am-" Piper began to say.

"Rarr!" said the lady Cyclops, grabbing Piper around the waist. "Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl! I'm Ma Gasket! I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!" I was scared that Piper would get crushed, but Ma Gasket just let her dangle, hanging from the chain. Then she started yelling at Sump about how stupid he was. That's when I realised that Torque and Sump must have been her sons. If so, Ugly most certainly ran in the family. Leo seemed to have finished what he needed. I grinned at him, silently encouraging him. He grinned back.

"-eat her last, Ma?" Sump was saying.

"Idiot!" Ma Gasket yelled. "I should have thrown you on to the streets when you were born, like proper cyclops children. Curse my soft heart I kept you!". I smiled to myself in amusement. Soft heart. Obviously, Torque and Sump weren't as stupid as they looked.

"Soft heart?" Torque muttered.

"What was that, you ingrate?"

"Nothing Ma. I says you has a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails-"

"And you should be grateful!" Ma Gasket bellowed. "Sump, my case of salsa is in the other room! Don't tell me you expect me to eat the demigods without my salsa!"

"Yes Ma," Sump gulped. "I mean, no Ma. I mean-"

"Go get it!" Ma yelled, chucking a truck at her son. But apparently, Sump got hit by trucks a lot, because he just pushed it off him, and went out of the door, legs shaking. I looked at Leo. Now was the time, while they were separated. He seemed to be having the same thoughts, as he dashed between the machinery. Luckily, the Cyclops didn't see him, but Piper did. Oh, gods, I thought to myself. Please don't get us busted. Piper's expression of surprise turned to disbelief, and she gasped. I gulped and tried to stay as still as possible. Maybe that way, I could pass off as a statue. Ma Gasket turned to her.

"What is it, girl? So fragile I broke you?" Thankfully, Piper was a quick thinker. She looked away from us, and said

"I think it's my ribs, Ma'am. If I'm busted up inside, I'll taste terrible." Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter.

"Oh, that was a good one. Remember last one we ate, Torque? Son of mercury, wasn't he?"

"Yes Ma," Torque said obediently. "Tasty. Little bit stringy."

"He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!" Ma continued.

"Tasted like mutton," Torque recalled. "Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. A little stringy, but good." My heart froze. Purple shirt? _Like the one Jason was wearing _said an annoying voice in my head. _Like the people in your dream. _My head started to spin. It wasn't possible. Chiron never mentioned anything about..._what was it your dream said? Never speak of this to anyone. There is a reason Chiron has never spoke of this. A dangerous gamble._ I put the thought out of my head. It wasn't possible. I didn't want to think of what could happen if it was true. I was broken out of my thoughts, when Sump said,

"Oh and remember that other demigod, son of Apollo, wasn't he?" My senses froze. No, it couldn't be. Leo gave me a look, like, '_You know this dude?_'

"Oh yes," Torque agreed happily. "Orange shirt one. Said he was lactose intolerant." He then made a face. "Was lactose intolerant." My chest raced. Apollo. Orange shirt. Lactose intolerant. _Liam. _The world stopped around me. Liam went on a solo quest, to visit a friendly cyclops who would help secure the defences around camp. But he never returned. This was why. He had been eaten by these cyclops', over this very spit. My knees buckled, and I slid to the floor. Rage boiled inside me. I wanted to avenge Liam. The first person who felt like family to me at camp. The one who was like my older brother, my parent, always looking out for me...my head was spinning. I wanted nothing more than to jump out and gut every last one of these hobos. But I restrained myself, the force I had to use on myself turning my knuckles white. Leo shot me a concerned look, but I shook my head at him, telling him to go on. I watched his every move, determined to enjoy the destruction of the bastards who tore my brother to shreds. I was too taken over by anger and need of revenge, that drowned out the pain. I closed my eyes, and remembered the last time I ever saw him.

* * *

_I was ten. Liam was 17. He gave me one final lopsided grin, before hugging me._

_"Bye Alex!" he said in his up-and-down voice, that always made me laugh. I chewed on a piece of my chestnut hair._

_"You'll be safe, won't you?" I asked, worried. He laughed._

_"Hey, Alex, I'm a demigod. That is literally impossible." He saw my concerned face, and broke out into a grin._

_"But I'll come back to you, dead or alive, Alex, promise. I swear on the river Styx."_

_And he never did._

* * *

"Good eating." Ma Gasket commented, bringing me out of my bubble. Rage was slamming against my chest, crashing, bringing it down. "Point is, girl, we're not as dumb as people think. We're not falling for those stupid tricks, not us Northen Cyclopses!". I looked over at Leo. His hand was skillfully twisting wire around wire, around metal pole. I crossed my fingers, hoping Piper would keep stalling. Leo looked up at the dangling car engine, right above the Cyclops campsite. I smiled. That would make a great weapon. But then I realised that it was being suspended over by a crane on a conveyor belt across the other side. There was no way Leo could get over there without being seen. And besides, we were running short on time.

* * *

**Hey guys! Yes I have not been killed. I know I have now sabotaged my regular upload pattern, but I have just been really busy. I just wanted to get this chapter out, so hope you enjoyed! And sorry again that this chapter took so long!**

**Yours truly,**

**MilkandCheez**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi guys! So I decided to make this chapter in Leo's perspective (ya know, for a cHaNge). Also, thank you so much to the following people for following/favoriting the story:**

**BloodyMoon03**

**Hikari-kawaii1**

**Totomaru**

**ddsurvivor**

**espertinha**

**mirasecret**

**rwyantp**

**Starkiller2468**

**shegotofftheplane**

**Thank you all, this means so much to me! If I left anyone out, it was not on purpose, I just didn't get a notification about it. If so, could you please tell me(somehow) because it really does mean alot to me. On with the story!**

* * *

_LEO_

The last part of my plan was the trickiest. I summoned some wires, a radio adapter, and a small screw driver. I started to build a universal remote. For the first time, I sent a silent prayer of thanks to Hephaestus for giving me the magical tool belt. Get me out of here, I prayed, and maybe you're not such a jerk. I looked around. Piper was laying on the praise,

"Oh, I've heard about Northen Cyclopses! I had no idea that you were so strong and clever!" I figured it was bull, but at least it sounded convincing.

"Flattery won't work either," Ma Gasket said, though she sounded pleased. I suddenly heard a quiet snort, and I turned around. Alex was doubled over, trying not to laugh. For her sake, I seriously hope she succeeded. She suddenly saw me grinning at her, so she gave me a thumbs up. I nodded, and turned back round. Alex always managed to keep my spirits up. Some part of me wanted to just relax and think about the old days, when we were on the run, but Piper and Jason were on a tight schedule, and I figured they wouldn't appreciate getting turned into demigod roast.

"It's true, though." Ma Gasket continued. "You'll be breakfast for the best cyclopses all around!"

"But aren't Cyclopses good? I thought that they made weapons for the gods?" Piper asked. I winced. Maybe she'd busted it.

"Bah! I'm good! Good at eating people! Good at smashing! And good at building things, yes, but not for the gods. Our cousins, the elder cyclopses do this, yes. Thinking they're so high and mighty 'cause they're a few thousand years older. Then there's our southern cousins, living on islands, and tending sheep. Bah! But we northen cyclopses, we're the best! Founded monocle motors in this old factory-the best weapons, armour, weapons, fuel efficient SUV's! But then-bah! Forced to shut down. Laid off most of our tribe. The war was too quick. Titans lost. No good! No more need for cyclops weapons."

"Oh no." Piper sympathized. "I'm sure you made some amazing weapons." Torque grinned. Maybe there was hope for this after all.

"Squeaky war hammer!" he replied happily. He picked up a large pole with an accordion-looking metal box on the end. He slammed it onto the floor. The cement cracked, but there was also a sound like the world's largest rubber ducky getting stomped on. I heard a snort from behind me. This was just too much for Alex, who went of into silent peals of laughter. I shook my head, and turned back to the task.

"Terrifying," Piper agreed. I heard a soft thump from behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turned around to see Al silently rolling about on the floor, trying her utmost best not to giggle. I grinned, the temptation to join her on the floor too much, but I turned back to my hands, which were furiously working on auto-pilot. Torque was looking pleased.

"Not as good as the exploding axe, but this can be used more than once."

"Can I see it?" Piper asked. "If you would just free my hands..." I smiled. There was hope, in the end. Torque stepped forward eagerly, but Ma Gasket said,

"Stupid! She's charm speaking you! No slay the boy before he dies on his own. I like my meat fresh!"

Maybe I was wrong, I said to myself, my fingers flying across the wires. Just a few more minutes! I was seriously thinking of sending Alex out there to act as a time stalling ambassador.

"Hey, wait, can I just ask-" Piper was cut short, as the wires in my palm sparked. The Cyclopes looked in my direction, and Torque threw a truck at me. I ducked. If I had been a half a second later, I would have been impaled. Suddenly I heard a sickening, 'Ow' from behind me. My heart skipped a beat. Alex. I had to pretend it was nothing. Pushing the depressing thoughts of what happened to my friend out of my head, I focused on what was happening now. I got to my feet, as Ma Gasket spotted me.

"Torque, you pathetic excuse for a Cyclopes, get him!" she yelled. Torque barreled towards him. I frantically gunned the toggle on my makeshift remote. Torque was fifty feet away. Twenty feet away. Then the first robotic arm whirred to life. A three ton metal claw smashed the Cyclopes in the back so hard he went straight to the ceiling. It was hard to see, but he never came down. Instead, it was a rain of metal dust. I really wanted to go and check on Al, but now wasn't the time.

Ma Gasket stared at him in shock. "My son. You...you...my...son..."

As if on cue, Sump lumbered into the room.

"Ma, I got the extra spicey-" he never finished his sentence. I spun the toggle, and a robotic arm whacked Sump in the chest. The salsa case exploded like a pinata, and Sump flew backward, right into the base of my third machine. Sump may have been immune to getting hit by trucks, but he wasn't immune to robotic arms that could deliver 10 thousand pounds of force. The third arm slammed him onto the floor so hard, he disintegrated into dust on impact. I turned behind me. Alex was slowly getting the truck off her. I marveled. Dang, that girl was strong. I turned back around. The floor was now mottled with gold and brown. Two Cyclopes down. I was starting to feel like Commander tool belt, bu Ma Gasket had to come in and ruin it. She grabbed the nearest crane arm and ripped it off with menace.

"You busted my boys! Only I get to bust my boys!". I punched a button, and the two remaining robotic arms swung into action. Ma Gasket caught the first one, and tore it in half. The second arm smacked her in the head, but this only seemed to make her mad. She grabbed it, hurling it. It missed Jason and Piper by inches. I managed to duck it, but poor Alex fell the victim once more. She managed to dodge it-mostly. It hit her fair and square on the shoulder. Wincing, I realised it was her bad one. I turned around to look. Ma Gasket was seething with rage. I was starting to realise that fighting an angry mummy Cyclopes with a universal remote and a screwdriver was not a great idea. The future for me was not looking so hot. Ma Gasket stood about twenty feet from me now, next to the cooking fire. Her fists were clenched, her teeth bared. She looked funny in her chain mail dress, or her matted pigtail, but her red eye glowed with so much malice that I wasn't laughing.

"Any more tricks, demigod?" Ma Gasket asked, sneering.

"Heck, yeah, I got tricks." I replied, in what I hoped was a more nonchalant voice than I felt. But was it me, or was my voice a pitch higher? I raised my remote control. "Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire."

* * *

**Ok, so I really want to go back to writing in Alex's perspective, because writing in another perspective, it a little...putting-offing. If there's any other perspectives you want to see, then please just comment! Also, thanks for sticking with me for 14 chapters!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	15. Chapter 15

_Alex_(Again:))

My eyes were zooming in and out, in and out. I think it was the truck. I tried to push it off me, and I got up to a certain point, but then, my arms drooped again. I stayed there, not wanting to move a muscle.

"Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire." Leo said. My heart sank. Cyclopes were immune to fire. Apparently, Ma Gasket was having the same ideas. She laughed.

"Oh, would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with fire, then let me help!" She scooped red hot coals into her hands, and she chucked them at Leo. They scattered around his feet.

"Missed!" Leo said, trying for a nonchalant tone. Only then did I understand what would happen.

"Leo, n-" I began to say, when Ma Gasket took a barrel named kerosene, and threw it. I gasped. Flamed erupted around Leo, engulfing him. My heart started pounding at the same time Piper yelled,

"Leo!". I knew his pyrokinesis would protect him, but parts of me were beginning to doubt it. What if he couldn't survive a fire that big? But the flames died down, revealing Leo, clothes a bit tattered, but still well alive. Piper's face fell.

"How-"

"You live?" Ma Gasket looked astonished. "Who are you?" She took that extra step forward. I looked up, and saw Leo's plan. I grinned, as much as it hurt. That boy was a freaking genius. Leo. Freaking. Valdez.

"The son of Hephaestus." Leo said. "And I warned you I would destroy you with fire." He pointed his finger at the chain above Ma Gasket, and shot a bolt of white hot flames at it. My heart was racing. It seemed like it would do the trick. But nothing happened. My heart fell into the depths of the underworld. Ma Gasket laughed.

"A nice try, son of Hephaestus. It has been many years since I saw a fire user like you. you'll make a spicy appetizer!"

That's when the chain broke, heated beyond it's tolerance point.

"I don't think so." Leo said in a deadly calm voice. Ma Gasket didn't even have time to look up. The engine fell on her, and there were no more cyclopes left, just a pile of dust.

"Not immune to engines, huh? Boo-Yah!" Then he fell on his knees. That had drained all the energy out of him. I finnaly managed to get the truck off me. I winced in pain. Piper started calling his name. Leo didn't notice for a bit. Then he jerked up.

"Leo, are you alright, can you move?" I asked. He tried getting up. Wow, he was really drained. He muttered,

"I'm fine," before asking, "What 'bout you?". I gritted my teeth. I had nasty gashes over my face from the truck's glass windows, and my shoulder was bruised and re-dislocated.

"I've been better." I said. He started coming over to help me, but I shook my head. He got the message, and went over to help Jason and Piper.

* * *

It took a long time to get Piper down from the chains, then they tried lifting Jason, who was knocked out, unconscious. Piper trickled some nectar into his mouth, and the welt shrunk a little, along with some color returning to his face. Leo frowned at the welt.

"Yeah, he's got a nice thick skull. He should be fine."

"Thank god," she sighed. Clutching my shoulder, I managed to limp over to them. Piper looked at Leo with some fear in her eyes. "How did you-the fire-have you always..." Leo hung his head.

"Yeah. I'm a freaking menace. Sorry, should've told you guys before, Al already knew, but..." When he looked up, Piper was grinning at him. She punched his arm.

"That was amazing, Valdez, you saved us! What are you sorry about?" Leo blinked. Then I did something very unexpected. I pulled him into a hug. It hurt, but he needed it.

"Don't you dare ever say that again, Valdez. You are _not_ a menace. You saved all our podex' today." I pulled back. Leo seemed to realise just how bad my face was.

"Oh, gods what happened?!" Piper said in alarm. I shook my head.

"Trucks and cyclopes happened." Then I noticed something next to Piper's foot. The golden dust, maybe Torque, was reforming, like invisible winds pushing it together.

"They're forming again." I said, frowning. Leo and Piper looked down. Jason, the poor dolt, was still unconscious. Piper stepped away from the dust.

"That's not possible. Annabeth told me that monsters dissipate when they're killed. They go to Tartarus, and can't return for a long time." Leo shook his head.

"No-one told the dust that." Leo watched slowly, as the dust started to slowly gain shape.

"Oh, god," Piper turned pale. "Boreas said something about this-the earth yielding up horrors. 'When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades.' How long do you think we have?"

I immediately thought of the face of the sleeping 'Mother'-Dirt face was most certainly a horror.

"Not long," I confirmed. "We need to get out of here."

* * *

We were flying across Detroit, the busy city bumbling below us. I had cleaned myself up a bit, so now the gashes on my face were light cuts, the fast magic of ambrosia doing its job, turning into faint scars. My shoulder was well and good, with just an immobiliser for safety. Piper's ankle was doing okay, though the nectar's magic was wearing off. Leo was newly energized, driving Festus with gusto. Suddenly, Jason eyes snapped open, and he yelled,

"Cyclopes!"

"Woah, sleepyhead!" Piper helped keep him balanced.

"Detroit, d-din't we c-cr-crash land, I thought-"

"It's okay." Leo told him. I flashed Jason a grin. "We got away, but you got a nasty concussion. How you feeling?" Jason rubbed his temple.

"How did you-the cyclopes-"

"It was awesome!" I said, going on into classic Alex with the big hand gestures. "Leo ripped them apart, single handed, and he can summon fire!" Leo went red (or as much as I could see with his dark skin) and he looked down at the floor.

"It was nothing," he muttered.

"Shut up, Repair boy," I laughed. "I'm gonna tell him all about it."

And I did. About how Leo defeated the whole family of cyclopes, got Jason out of there, started to notice the dust re-forming; how he'd fixed the dragons remaining corroded circuits, and had gotten them airborne as they'd started to hear cyclopes yelling for vengeance in the factory. Looking at Jason's face, I could tell he was impressed, but was that...regret in his face? I started to realise that being a son of the king of the gods, Jason was under a lot of pressure, being the star. And being knocked out the whole 'cyclopes ambush' while his friends had to come and save him, that wasn't the image everyone expected. Piper told him about the other kid the cyclopes had eaten, the son of mercury, Jason went pale. My inner gut strings pulled. I sort of knew what it was. And it was killing me.

"Who was the other kid? Son of Apollo, orange shirt. Alex did you know him?" Piper asked. My expression darkened.

"Yeah..." My voice trailed off. Leo turned around, and put his hand on mine.

"Hey, Al, you don't need to talk about it-"

"No, I want to," I said, sighing. "Liam was a great person, really, and I think more people ought to know about him." I shook my head. "He went on an epic solo death quest to go to the forge of a friendly cyclopes to get protection for the camp. He said he would come back, he swore on the river Styx, but he never did." I looked down, twiddling my fingers nervously.

"God, Alex, I'm sorry, I really am." Piper's voice washed over me. I shook my head. I was doing a lot of that.

"He was the first person I met, after I came to camp. To seven year old me, Liam was like a hero to me. He was only a year older than Luke, he was 15 at the time, but I really looked up to him. But when he left, I was 10, and he was 17. I'd never stopped looking up to him, really. He was everything I thought a child of Apollo should be. Every day, I try to live up to his standards." I felt my shoulders trembling, and I buried my face in Leo's shoulder, his shirt absorbing my tears. He didn't say anything, just reaching over, and placing a hand on my head. I was there for a bit, until I calmed down. I put my head up.

"Thank you," I whispered. There was silence.

"So, the son of Mercury." Jason said. "That mean's I'm not alone, then. There are others like me." Yes! I wanted to scream. Yes there are!

"You were never alone, Jason." Piper placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've got us."

* * *

**And I just wanted to upload another chapter. So sorry about the cliffhanger/not-so-cliffhanger. It was just the best one I could stop on. So yeah. See you...at some point in our lives. **

**ps. Chapter 15...WHOO!**

**PPS-goodbye**

**ppps-is there such thing as ppps?**

**Yours truly, **

**MilkandCheez**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! So I'm doing a time skip to when they reach Chicago, because I cannot be bothered to write out all the speech, but here's the basic gist of it:**

**Leo: We crash landed into a row of porta-potties, Gaia appeared to me, and I chucked a porta-potty at her and UGGHH! My life sucks.**

**Jason: I know, right Dude! Like Hera appeared to me in a dream vision, and said something about doing the impossible, and heroes working together, and, like, the gods are Jerks!**

**Alex:I know, right, like they sooo mess up my life.**

**Piper:Guys...**

**Leo:Hey, bro, we should totally prove them-**

**Piper:Guys!**

**Leo Jason Alex:What?**

**ME: And tHanKyOUu Piper. Moving on,**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own PJO or HoO, Rick Riordan does, though I could totally do a better job, for starters, not killing off-! Oh, wait, sorry, you haven't read the Burning maze? Well hurry up, because the Tyrant's tomb is out soon!(I'm hoping to get this chapter published before it comes out tho:))**

* * *

"Chicago." Jason said, looking down.

"One problem down. We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?" Leo asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh thank you for being oh-so optimistic, O-light-of-my-day."

Leo gave me a two-fingered mock salute. I suddenly saw a flash of movement below us. At first, I thought it was a small plane, and I was like, 'How high up are we?', but then I realised it was too small, too dark and too fast. The thing spiralled towards a skyscraper, swiftly moving and changing shape, and for a moment, I swear it was a horse. I turned back, and I saw Jason had seen it too. He pointed.

"How about we follow that one, and see where it goes?" Jason asked. I grinned.

"Sounds like the sanest plan we've had all quest. Let's do this!"

I was afraid we'd lose our target. The anemoi thuellai moved, well...like the wind.

"Move faster!" Jason yelled. I covered my ears.

"Wow bro! Just because I listen to really loud music, does not mean I appreciate you screaming in my ear."

"Bro," Leo replied. "If I get any closer, it'll spot us. Bronze dragon ain't exactly a stealth plane."

"Slow down!" Piper storm spirit dived into a grid of down town streets. Festus tried to follow, but his wingspan was too wide. His left wing sliced of a building spire, before Leo could get him to go highter.

"Go up, we can track him from there." Jason said.

Leo grumbled, "You wanna drive this thing?" but he complied anyways. After a few minutes, we spotted the storm spirits.

"There's two..." Piper commented. She was right. A second anemoi thuellai blasted in out of nowhere, and it started swirling around the first one. They were batting down pedestrians, ruffling flags and making cars swerve. They bent a radio tower, sending it crashing down onto the street.

"Wow," I said. "Those guys really don't need more caffeine."

"I guess Chicago's a good place to hang out," Piper said. "Nothing like a couple of Storm spirits to brighten the mood."

"More than a couple," Jason said. "Look." He was right. Festus circled over a wide avenue, next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits were converging-at least a dozen of then, whirling around an art installation.

"Which one do you think is Dylan?" Leo asked. I threw him a confused look. "I wanna throw something at him." I keps focusing on the art installation. The closer we got to it, the faster my heart beat. It was a public fountain, but something about it just seemed five story monoliths rose from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seemed to be built of video screens, combining to form the flashing image of a giant face, that spewed water into the pool. As I watched closer, the face morphed into one I knew to well...dirt face.

"Leo..." I said nervously.

"I see her." Leo said. "I don't like her, but I see her." Then the screens went dark. The storm spirits swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its center, popped off a drain cover, and went underground.

"Did they just go down a drain?" Piper asked. "How are we supposed to follow them?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," Leo replied. "That fountain is giving me seriously bad vibes. Aren't we supposed to, like beware the earth?" I feinged surprise.

"Oh my gods, Leo, you remembered that!" But in reality, I felt the same way. However, we had to follow. It was our only way forward. We _had_ to find Hera, and we were two days away from the solstice.

"Put us down in that park," Jason said, pointing. "We can check it out on foot."

Festus landed in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs said 'Grant Park', and I imagined it would be a nicer place in the summer, but right now...it was a field of ice, snow and salted walkways. The dragon's hot metal feet hissed as we completed touchdown. Festus flapped his wings unhappily, no doubt unhappy about setting down, and he shot fire into the sky, but there was no-one around to notice. Anyone with common sense would be safely tucked away inside, with a hot cuppa, and maybe the TV blaring on. My eyes stung so badly, I could barely see. We dis mounted, and Festus stomped the ground impatiently. One of his ruby eyes flickered, making it look like he was blinking.

"Is that normal?" Jason asked. Leo pulled a rubber mallet out of his tool belt , and whacked the dragon's bad eye. It flickered a few times, and then went back to normal.

"Yes," Leo said. "Festus can't hang around here in the park for too long. They'll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle..." He rumaged in his belt, but came up empty handed.

"To specialised?" He asked to no-one in particular. "Okay, gimme a safety whistle. They got plenty of those in work shops." The tool belt obliged. This time, Leo pulled out a big orange whistle. He whistled.

"Alright, Coach would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen." He blew the mouthpiece, causing me to cover my ears, and squint.

"Hear that?" he asked. "Hear that again, and come back and find me, okay? Until then, fly about wherever you want, and just try not to barbecue any pedestrians." Festus snorted, hopefully in agreement, and then launched into the air.

Piper took one step and winced, "Ah!". Both me and Jason rushed over to help her.

"Your ankle?" Jason asked. I eased her down, so I could take a look at it.

"It's fine," Piper shivered. I grabbed an Imagine Dragons hoodie out of my belt.

"Here," I said. She smiled knowingly, and took it.

"Woahkay, this obsession is real." I fake pouted.

"You don't like Night Visions?" Piper shook her head.

"Never heard of it. Origins is good though." I grinned, and then pulled out a radio tape. Piper shook her head in disbelief.

"Here, drink some," I ordered, brandishing a canteen of Nectar.

"Thanks," she said, accepting it, and taking a swig. She tried standing up again. She managed to go a few steps, wincing only slightly. I put her arm around my shoulders for support.

"Let's get out of the wind," Jason suggested. I nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"Down a drain?" Piper asked. "Sounds cozy." Leo shook his head.

"Yeah, no kidding." We wrapped ourselves up as warm as we could, and we headed towards the fountain.

According to a plaque, it was called Crown fountain. All the water had emptied out, except for some frozen patches here and there. It just seemed...off, that there would be any water in the fountain now. Then again, those giant monitors had flashed pictures of Dirt face. Nothing about this place was right. We stepped into the center of the pool. No storm spirits tried to stop us. The giant monitor walls stayed dark. The drain hole seemed big enough for one person. Something told me we were playing right into someone's trap, but we didn't really have a choice. Jason went in first. I followed, lowering myself in. As I climbed, I braced myself for that horrible sewer smell, but nothing hit. A maintenance ladder to the side dropped into a brickwork running north to south. The air was warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor. I heard a light thud behind me, and I turned to look. Piper and Leo had made it down, dusting themselves off.

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wondered out loud. Me and Leo looked at eachother.

"No," we said in unison. "Trust us."

Jason frowned. "How do you know-"

"Hey man," Leo said. "We were on the run for over two months, we'd slept in some pretty weird places."

"Now which way do we go?" I asked.

Jason tilted his head, listening, and then pointed south. "That way," he said.

"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.

"There's a draft blowing." Jason replied. "Maybe the Venti went with the flow?"

It wasn't much of a lead, but no-one offered a better answer. Unfortunately, when Piper started walking, she stumbled. Jason caught her.

"Stupid ankle," she muttered.

"Let's rest," I decided. "We could all use it. We've been going all over non-stop for a day." Jason nodded like it was a good idea(which it was) and then said,

"Hey, Leo, can you pull any food from the belt besides breath mints?" Leo grinned like there was no tomorrow.

"I thought you would never ask.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took too long. I don't know what to say. **

**The Tyrant's tomb is out!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	17. Chapter 17

Jason and Piper were sitting next to each other, talking in hushed tones, while Leo broke out with some cooking supplies. We sat there in silence, before he said,

"Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna play Truth or Truth?" he asked. I raised my eyebrow.

"Isn't it Truth or _Dare_?"

"Yeah, but I'm bored, but I can't be bothered to get up and do dares, so we're playing this now." I had to stifle a laugh.

"You're bored? What with the impending gloom and doom of the end of the world? How?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm a special boy. My turn first. How old are you, and when's your birthday?"

"What the heck?" I asked confused. He shrugged at me, with a simple eye roll, like 'answer the question already!'. I agreed,

"I'm fifteen. My birthday's 30th June." Leo slammed a fist on the iron skillet, making me jump. Jason and Piper gave us some weird looks. I did my best 'I-aM-cOnfUsEd' face. Leo broke out into a bout of rapid Spanish.

"Oh Vamos! Como puede ser siete dias mayor que yo? Esto es solo el colmo! (Oh come on! How can she be seven days older than me? This is just the height of it!)". I laughed, and then said,

"So I'm seven days older than you, huh?"

"CURSES!" Leo yelled, drawing yet more strange stared in out direction.

"What?" I gave him a quizzical look.

"You speak Spanish." He said sulkily. His hand set on fire, and the cooking pit shot up the ceiling, sparks flying. I looked up with an alarmed look on my face.

"Woah, watch it!" I said, voice high. Leo looked shocked, and then reduced the flames, drawing his hand out of the pit.

"Latino?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Hispanic," I confirmed. He frowned at me.

"But you were in California when I met you!"

I nodded. "I've never actually been to Spain. I'm actually Hispanic-Australian. I was born and grew up...well mostly...in Sydney. When I was six, we moved to California. My mom...she died two days before my birthday. I was on the run for three days, and well...you know the story from there." I nodded at him, and he stared back, gesturing for me to continue.

"My mom grew up in Spain," I carried on. "We always used to speak Spanish at home." We sat there in silence, and then I grinned.

"My turn-" My grin was cut short when Leo held up four plates of beef tacos. Or was that...tofu?

"Food's ready!" He smirked, waving the platters infront of my face.

"Well done, Sherlock," I grumbled. We got up, and started to walk over to the other two.

"And bingo!" Leo yelled over. Jason and Piper looked up and marveled. I couldn't blame them. The food looked really good.

"Leo," Piper said in amazement. "How did you-"

"Chef Leo's taco garage is fixing you up!" Leo said proudly. I snorted at the name. "And it's tofu, not beef, so don't freak, Beauty Queen. Just dig in!"

I wasn't too sure about the tofu, but the tacos tasted just as good as they smelled. While we ate, me and Leo tried too goof around lightening the heavy air around us. But something had passed between the two opposite us, that wasn't exactly...great news. Jason looked at me and Leo gratefully. I guess us being around made it a little less awkward with Piper. But I spent my life reading people, and was that...he wanted to be alone with Piper. At once I knew just how much this whole 'amnesia' thing was affecting him. He was split between this old life he couldn't remember, and a new life he wanted to live. I turned away, because both Piper and Leo noticed I was studying Jason with a worried look in my eyes. After we finished, Jason told Piper to get some sleep. Without saying anything, she curled up in his lap, and closed her eyes. In two seconds, she was snoring gently. Jason looked up at us, and then went red in the face, because we were trying(and failing) not to laugh.

We sat in silence, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.

"Good huh?" Leo grinned. I nodded, in the middle of a gulp. I swallowed, and then opened my mouth.

"You should start a stand, you know. Make some serious coin." Jason looked at the fire. He swallowed, and said,

"Leo, the fire stuff you can do, is it true?" The mood in the air instantly darkened. Leo's smile faltered.

"Yeah...well..." He opened his clenched hand, and rolls of fire danced along his palm.

"That's so cool," Jason commented. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Leo closed his hand and the fire went out. "Didn't want to look like a freak." I put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't look up, or even make a sign to acknowledge I was there.

"I have lightning and wind powers," Jason reminded him. "Piper can talk people into doing everything, and Alex can shoot with deadly accuracy, heal people and...sorry I don't know what else you can do." I grinned at him.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know?" Jason gulped and shook his head with energy.

"See, Leo. You're no more a freak than the rest of us." Jason said. "And hey, maybe you can fly too! Like, you could jump off a building, and yell 'FLAME ON!'." Leo snorted.

"All you would see is a flaming boy falling to his death. And trust me, I would be yelling something a little stronger than FLAME ON!" I grinned maliciously.

"Maybe we could get a few cuss words in there..." Leo shook his head.

"Trust me, the Hephaestus cabin doesn't see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they're super rare. When a demigod like that comes around, bad things happen. Really bad."

"Well, maybe it's the other way round," Jason suggested. I nodded in agreement, and continued,

"Yeah. What if people like you turn up when something bad would happen, like when thy're needed most?"

Leo cleared away the plates. "Yeah, well...maybe. But I'm telling you, It's not always a gift." I knew he was talking about his mom. My heartstrings tugged. It was there, the dangers of fire, but I tried to push it down. We had to live life in the present. It did no good to dwell in the past. But now it was surfacing. Now I couldn't get it down My mom had died in a fire.

* * *

I was asleep. I could hear Leo and Jason talking in hushed whispers, but even they were fading away. Sleep had claimed me, drawing me into the world of dreams.

_A boy with sea green eyes. My heart thudded to a stop. Percy. He was standing next to a girl with Amber eyes, and chocolate skin. He hair was frizzy, and she looked about thirteen. The girl led Percy to a black crypt built into the side of the hill. A teenage boy in black jeans and an aviator jacket was...Nico d__i Angelo. My heart tightened. That sneaky, two faced little traitor!_

_"Hey!" the girl called. "I've brought a friend." The boy turned. Percy did a slight stumble back, as if he had forgot about him, but was getting it back. A gamble...an exchange...I knew what this meant, but I didn't want to accept it._

_Nico didn't look well. Part of me wanted to hang him, quarter him and burn out his organs, but the doctor side of me wanted to go up to him, and see what was wrong. Nico was the son of Hades, and he was playing the part. He wore a silver skull ring, with a chain as a belt, and a black t-shirt with skull designs. At his side hung his Stygian Iron sword. After he saw Percy, he seemed shocked, for a microsecond, it seemed like he would run away._

_"This is Percy Jackson," the girl said. "He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother. He's the son of Pluto." Pluto...as the Roman version of Hades. Brother...that means this girl was a daughter of Hades too. But...Pluto. Nico regained his composure, and held out his hand._

_"Pleased to meet you," he said. I wanted to walk right up to him, and rip out his lungs, but as in demigod dreams, I was stuck in a pool of glue. "I'm Nico di Angelo."_

The dream zoomed back out, and I was left in a void of black. Hera...exchange. Anger boiled up in me. She wiped Jason and Percy's memories, and sent them to each other's camps. To get us to trust one another. All this time, I'd thought Jason was a lone wolf **(NB:Pun intended)** , but it turns out there were other's like him. A whole camp like him. A roman camp. We got Jason, and Percy was at the other Camp. Nico di Angelo was a spy.

* * *

**Okay, sorry I haven't uploaded in a long time, I have just been really busy, I haven't forgotten! Also, thankyou ever so much for so many likes and followers. It means a lot.**

**ShadowHeart175-Thanks for the feedback! Yes, I know it's was a little fast paced, but I'm trying to work on it, by using the book. Glad to hear you think you like it!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	18. Chapter 18

**I want to do an author's note, but I can't be bothered. So here is my note/non-note. Enjoy!**

* * *

I was glad when we finally broke camp, and started down a tunnel. It twisted and turned, and seemed to go on forever. I wasn't really sure what to expect at the end-a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir, where all the porta-potty sludge in the world ends up, forming a giant, evil, dirt face large enough to swallow the world. I blamed my ADHD. Instead, we found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive M. Next to the elevator was a directory board, like they have in shopping malls.

"M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one downtown in Chicago."

"Or Monocle motors still?" Leo asked. "Guys, look at the directory, it's messed up."

And indeed it was.

_Parking, Kennels and Main entrance-sewer level_

_Furnishings and Cafe M:1_

_Women's fashion and magical appliances:2_

_Men's wear and weaponry:3_

_Cosmetics, potions, poisons and sundries:4_

"Kennels for what?" Piper asked stupidly. "And what sort of department store has their entrance in a sewer?"

"Or sells poisons?" Leo continued. "What does sundries even mean, is it like, underwear?"

I took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."

* * *

The doors slid open on the first floor, and Jason stepped out sword ready.

"Guys?" he called. "You have got to see this." And we stepped out, one by one. We caught our breath.

"This is _not _Macy's." Piper said, awestruck. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, well done, Sherlock."

The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic, with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything inside a thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so we could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at. My instincts flared up. This place was so calm and beautiful, I was expecting a fully fledged dragon to come bursting through the roof, and roast us all into demigod shish-kebab. I looked around. Apart from the elevator and the roof, there were no other entrances and exits, but there were two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. I looked down The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns, and colors, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizzare. There was too much to take at once, but I also did see racks of normal stuff like shirts, and shoe trees, but they were mixed in with armoured mannequins, beds of nails, and fur coats...were they...moving?! Leo stepped to the railing, and looked down.

"Check it out!" In the middle of the atrium, a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins-drachmas, I realised with a jolt. I gritted my teeth. We were in the lair of a Greek legend. And I was pretty sure it wasn't a good one. On either side of the fountain stood an over sized canary cage. In one, there was a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree branch club.

"Coach hedge!" Piper yelled, at the same time that I rolled my eyes. "We'ne got to get down there!"

"Oh, come on!" I whined. "He broke Austin's saxaphone, because he used it to hit Silenus, the head counciller of the Cloven elders, over the head with it. Can't we leave him there?" Piper looked at me quzzically.

"He saved our life!"

"May I help you find something?" a cool female voice said behind us. All four of us jumped back. She smiled.

"I'm so happy to see new customers! How may I help you?" I gulped.

"We've walked right into the trap," I muttered under my breath. No-one heard me. Leo glanced at Jason, like 'all yours'. I had to snort.

"Um..." Jason started. "Is this your store?"

The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stored are, these days." She said_ these days_ like she hadn't been around in this time frame. My mind was working overtime, to try and figure out, who she was.

"I decided it would make the perfect place," the woman continued. "I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at reasonable prices. So this seems a good...how do you say it...first acquisition in this country." She spoke with a pleasing accent, bu not American. I felt like I should know her, but my mind was drawing a blank. I figured she would try to kill us at the first opportunity, though, so my hand went straight to the pendant at my neck. I looked around. Piper was on the alert like me, but Jason and Leo...they were starting to relax. I realised she was a charm speak user.

"So you're new to America?" Jason asked conversationally. I was mentally slapping him. No! I was yelling in my thoughts. No, don't do it!

"I am...new," the woman said. Again, I got the feeling that she was around long before us. "I am the princess of Colchis. My friends call me your highness. Now what are you looking for?"

Piper poked Jason in the ribs. "Jason..."

"Um right, actually, your highness..." he pointed down to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's out friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The saytr. Could we, um...have him back, please?" I wanted to slap him in the fore head. Real smooth Jason.

"Of course!" the princess agreed at once, "I would love to show you my inventory. First may I know you names?"

I could see Jason thinking. I began to say,

"Jason, maybe it's not the best-"

This is Piper, and Alex," he gestured towards us. "This is Leo, and I'm Jason."

The princess fixed her eyes on him, and for a moment, her face glowed with anger, literally. It was blazing with so much anger, I could actually see her skull. I looked at Piper. She had seen it too. My memory was fuzzy, but I was sure I should know her! Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal, elegant woman again.

"Jason. What an interesting name..." she said, her voice as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come children. Let's go shopping."

* * *

I wanted to run for the elevator. My second option was to attack this woman then and there, but she had the boys under her trance, and I doubted they would be too happy with me if I killed her. The princess gestured towards the cosmetics counter.

"Shall we start with the potions?"

"Cool." Jason said. I was starting to panic. I knew a fight was coming, but I attacked, which side would the boys take? If they took her side, I doubted me and Piper would be able to do that.

"Guys," Piper interrupted. "We're here to get the storm spirits, and Coach hedge. If this...princess...is really our friend-"

"Oh I'm better than a friend my dear. I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds glittered, and her eyes glittered like a snake's, cold and dark. Piper looked at me for guidance. I shrugged.

"Don't worry," She continued. "We'll make our way down to the first floor, eh?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure yeah! That sounds good. Right, Piper, Alex?" Something was up. Leo called me Al. If he was calling me Alex, something was wrong. I contemplated going up to him, and shaking his shoulders, but the this sorceress would know we were onto her. If she didn't already. Piper did her pest to stare daggers at Leo. 'No, it's not okay!'. You know, I was starting to really warm up to Piper.

"Of course it's okay!" Her Highness gushed. She put a hand on Leo and Jason's shoulders, and steered them towards the cosmetics section.

Me and Piper looked at each other helplessly, and we had no choice but to follow.

* * *

**So they're in Medea's store! We're there folk! I'm actually really surprising myself, but the amount of chapters I've done. Also, two Chaps in one day. nOt BAd!**

**Yours, **

**Milk and Cheez.**


	19. Not a chapter

**Hi, this is not a chapter. I just wanted to get up to date with the people who've followed and favorited this story. Just to show how much this means to me:)**

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Thank you all, and also thank you to Leo Parry and ShadowHeart175 for reviewing to this story. Please review and tell me how to improve my work!

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Ps-Thanks for 1435 views! As of now when I am writing this.


	20. Chapter 1920

I wasn't really the biggest fan of department stores, or beautiful maidens from ancient time who wanted us shopping for our deaths. It reminded me of our second quest in the Sea of Monsters, on Circe's island. Percy made a cute rodent.

"And here," the princess said, "Is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."

The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks—some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells—ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

The princess pointed to a blood red vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease. "

"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfully. "

"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.

"Jason," Piper said. I could feel her putting charm speak into every word. "We've got a job to do, remember?"

"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"

"Got that covered," Leo said. I snorted.

"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen …but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"

"Wait. " Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?" I jolted. Then I realised, Piper wanted it for Jason. And at this point, I found myself admiring her. She wanted Jason getting his memories back. However much she liked him, she would sacrifice her feelings, even for a girlfriend in his other life.

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

Piper tried to keep her expression neutral, but I could tell she was torn...she had that 'do-i-really-need-this' face. But I could tell...if this vial could cure Jason's memory...

"How much?" Piper asked. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to slap her in the face, or knock her up on the head.

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now … The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me. " Her gaze drifted to Jason. My mind began working overtime, trying to figure out who this 'princess' was.

"Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him. I grinned inwardly. Maybe her plan backfired.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong …" She looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him."

Piper started blushing. I clenched my fists. She was using Piper's feelings against her. A nagging voice in my mind told me she could read our thoughts.

This princess' story was starting to feel familiar. Something to with Jason and the Argonauts. The original Jason, so that would explain why she seemed so offended by his name.

"At any rate," Her Highness continued, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important. I could understand what he felt. The myth was there, lingering at the back of my mind. Now I was seriously starting to regret having paper airplane fights with Ezra, from the Hermes cabin rather than listening to Annabeth in Greek Mythology.

"That's messed up," Leo said. I wanted to yell back at him, 'Your mind is messed up!' but for some reason, I didn't.

Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. Rage was boiling in me, along with hatred. That witch! Only then did I realise the irony of that.

"I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two. "

Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?"

The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. Then she looked up and down me, as if using me as a bargaining chip.

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would. "

The words washed over me as soon as she said it. Immediately, I wanted to pay any price, even that of death, to get that vial. I fought it and fought it. I looked over at Piper, who seemed to be going through the same thing. For a dreadful moment, I thought she would give in, but then she came to her senses.

"No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"

Just for a moment, her words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.

"Leave?" Jason said.

"You mean … after shopping?" Leo asked.

I wanted to scream, but the princess tilted her head, examining us with newfound respect.

"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes—I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial—"

"Now, boys. " She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence, I didn't really think Piper stood a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

"Sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said.

"Oh come on," I muttered under my breath, so nobody but myself could hear me.

"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area. "

Piper's hand moved to her dagger. I though about it. Now I realised, Piper had been nervous about the quest, like she didn't want to do it, but had a tugging sensation to save the world at the same time. I thought it was first quest jitters, but now I thought, _What if there was something more behind this?_

"The Bay Area?" Piper said. "Why the Bay Area?" Though I had a feeling she already knew.

The princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?" I found myself grimacing. I had heard that phrase many times, but surprisingly, I wasn't too fond of it.

Then she led us toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop to their doom.

We cornered the princess, as Jason and Leo went off to check out the living fur coats.

"You want them shopping for their deaths?" Piper demanded.

"Mmm. " The princess blew dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? The boys are having such fun. " My mind instantly flared up. This little daughter-of-a-b*tch.

Leo laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wiggled frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? A definite sign they were under an evil spell. The more they looked around, the more childish they were acting, the more gullible they were.

I glared at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis. "

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turned a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more—lost eons ago. "

"Eons?" Piper asked. The princess looked no more than fifty, but a bad feeling started settling over me—something Annabeth told us, about an evil sorceress from Colchis. I couldn't remember her name. But what did that matter, she was supposed to be dead!

"How old are you?" I asked, suspiciously.

The princess laughed. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible. " The princess swept her hand around the department store.

My mouth tasted like that time the Stolls had gotten me to suck on metal(it was a dare). "Your patron …"

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you—only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little—a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries. "

Run, I thought. I looked at Piper. We have to get out of here.

But before I could even turn my thoughts into words, Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he held up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip—except this shirt looked as if it had been clawed by tigers.

Jason frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours," Piper said. "Now we really have to leave. " But I wasn't sure he could even hear her anymore through the princess's enchantment.

"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular—tradeins from previous customers. It suits you. "

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion—acid, maybe?—and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.

"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story." I grinned. A great way to rat her out.

Her words didn't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turned, suddenly interested.

"More story?" Leo asked.

"I like more story!" Jason agreed. I rolled my eyes. They were literal big babies.

The princess flashed Piper an irritated look. I smirked. _Piper:1, Evil sorceress with magical powers who is also really annoying:0._

"Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her—but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?"

The princess's tone made her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," I remembered. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised. "

The look in the princess's eyes made me want to apologize, but I didn't back down.

"At first," Her Highness admitted, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me. "

"And you killed your own brother," Piper said. The story was all coming back to me now, along with a name—an infamous name that began with the letter M. The M on the elevator doors.

"What?" Jason stirred. For a moment he looked almost like himself. "Killed your own—"

"No," the princess snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end. "

Jason still looked uncomfortable. I wanted to kick him in the _podex_, tell him to snap out of it."What did he do?"

The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him. "

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're —you should be dead!" I rolled my eyes. She had only just figured it out?

The princess smiled. "As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love. " She turned to the boys and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. I could feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever.

"Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"Oh, sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said.

"Guys!" Piper ground her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you—"

"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess said breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits—and your satyr. "

Leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances.

"No way," he said. "Is that an armored forge?"

Before we could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids.

When they caught up with him, the princess said, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold. "

Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. I wanted to scream, 'Yes, your freakin' sword!'. "Imperial gold?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade…" She smiled pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here—this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped. "

Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance.

"Leo, don't!" Piper and I warned at the same time.

He blinked. "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength—" She led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

I slowly started inching towards them, discreetly, just to make sure they didn't do anything stupid, and Piper had to try and reason with Jason. She pulled him aside and slapped him across the face. I pouted. I really wanted to do that.

"Ow," he muttered sleepily. "What was that for?"

"Snap out of it!" Piper hissed.

"What do you mean?"

"She's charmspeaking you. Can't you feel it?"

He knit his eyebrows. "She seems okay." Right now, I had taken my complete focus off Leo. I needed to pick up tips from Piper on how to deal with brainwashed boys.

"She's not okay! She shouldn't even be alive! She was married to Jason—the other Jason—three thousand years ago. Remember what Boreas said—something about the souls no longer being confined to Hades? It's not just monsters who can't stay dead. She's come back from the Underworld!"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "She's not a ghost. "

"No, she's worse! She's—"

"Children."

The princess was back with Leo in tow. "If you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?"

I had to choke back a battle cry. I was awfully tempted to pull out my sword, or quiver, and take on this witch myself, but I didn't really like my chances—not in the middle of Her Highness's department store while the boys were under a spell. I couldn't even be sure they'd take her side in a fight. We had to figure out a better plan.

We took the escalator down to the base of the fountain. For the first time, I noticed two large bronze sundials—each about the size of a trampoline—inlaid on the marble tile floor to the north and south of the fountain. The gilded oversize canary cages stood to the east and west, and the farthest one held the storm spirits. They were so densely packed, spinning around like a super-concentrated tornado, that I couldn't really tell how many there were—dozens, at least.

"Hey," Leo said, "Coach Hedge looks okay!"

They ran to the nearest canary cage. The old satyr seemed to have been petrified at the moment he was sucked into the sky. He was frozen mid-shout, his club raised over his head like he was ordering the gym class to drop and give him fifty. I hated it when he did that. His curly hair stuck up at odd angles. If I just concentrated on certain details—the bright orange polo shirt, the wispy goatee, the whistle around his neck—I could imagine Coach Hedge as his good old annoying self.

"Yes," the princess said. "I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr. A package deal. If we come to terms, I'll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace. " She gave us girls a shrewd look. "That's better than starting unpleasantness, isn't it, dears?"

Don't trust her, warned a voice in my head. If I was right about this lady's identity, nobody would be leaving in peace. A fair deal wasn't possible. It was all a trick. But my friends were looking at us, nodding urgently and mouthing, Say yes! We needed more to time to think.

* * *

**Longest chapter yet! I think I can say I've uploaded 20 chapters now. I know the last one wasn't really a chapter, buuuut...this one counts as two. So...Yeah! 20 chapters! Milestone!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**

**p.s- I need a Pjo and Ben 10 crossover. Please tell me somehow if you find one. **

**pps-pleeeeaaaase.**


	21. Chapter 21

"We can negotiate," she said. I nodded vigorously to show I was right in on this plan to sit back, talk and waste time.

"Totally!" Leo agreed. "Name your price. " I rolled my eyes. Or not.

"Leo!" Piper snapped.

The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy," Oh how I couldn't agree more, "But at least you know a thing's value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds—"

"Who attacked us," I interjected.

Her Highness shrugged. "As I said, my patron asks me for small favors from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you—that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm done, as you came here, in the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits—who are very valuable servants, by the way—so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high. "

I could see that the boys were ready to offer anything, promise anything. Before they could speak, Piper played our last card.

"You're Medea," she said. I stared at her like 'how do you know that?!' but really, I was all ears. "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo—don't trust her. "

Piper put all the intensity she could gather into those words. She was utterly sincere, and it seemed to have some effect. Jason stepped away from the sorceress.

Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream.

"What are we doing, again?"

"Boys!" The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewelry glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. "It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, Alexandra, my dears, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis. "

Jason—our Jason—scowled. "Then … you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"

"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Medea said. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again. "

"You … re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask. "

"Guys," I said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty. "

"Lies!" Medea said.

"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter. "

"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"

Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but I wasn't done.

"It may not have been right," she said, "but neither was Medea's revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom. "

Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price. "

"You're insane," Piper said.

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"

The fountain turned bright red. Piper drew her dagger, and I drew my sword, but my hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. "Jason, Leo—it's time to go. Now. "

"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever. "

"Seriously?" Leo asked.

"Leo, she's lying," Piper said. "She did that trick with somebody before—a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!"

"Ridiculous," Medea said, and I could feel the power charged in every syllable. "Leo, Jason—my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

"Guys, no!" I yelled. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.

We stood there, hopelessly. Now I understood what real sorcery looked like. She'd always thought magic meant wands and fireballs, but this was worse. Medea didn't just rely on poisons and potions. Her most potent weapon was her voice.

Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted. "

"You're annoying, Leo," Jason said. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon. "

"Stop!" Piper pleaded, but both drew weapons—Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt.

"Let them go, Piper," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!" I gave Piper a weird look. Her father?

I could tell Medea's charmspeak didn't work on her, but the sorceress still had a persuasive voice. I stared at my friend worriedly. What if she was taken in?

"You work for Enceladus," she said.

Medea laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause—a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free. "

Leo and Jason were still facing off, ready to fight, but they looked unsteady and confused—waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, I hoped. This went completely against their nature.

"Listen to me, girls. " Medea plucked a diamond off her bracelet and threw it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."

Piper McLean. Tristan McLean. So the movie star that I could only begin to explain Theo's obsession over was Piper's dad.

The mist shimmered, and we saw her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, was (I supposed) her dad's assistant, who had a name tag with 'Jane', in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.

"Hello, Jane," Medea said.

Jane hung up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper. "

"You—" Piper looked so angry she could hardly talk.

"Yes, child," Medea said. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak. "

"Thank you, ma'am," Jane said. I couldn't help but snort in amusement.

"Don't mention it," Medea said. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police—well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line—that was a nice touch to get his cooperation. "

"Yes," Jane agreed in a bland tone, as if she were sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger. "

Piper looked down at her dagger. The blade trembled in her hand. I didn't know what she saw in her reflection, but I'm almost certain it wasn't happy bunnies carrying Easter eggs and singing 'We are one'.

"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea said. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital. "

"Yes, ma'am. I will stand by. "

The image faded, and Medea turned to Piper. "There, you see?"

"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said. "You helped the giant—"

"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the seven in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little—just enough to visit him. "

"Leo's mother," I said, piecing two together. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So … I just attack Jason? That's okay?"

"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake. "

"No!" Piper ordered. We both knew it was her last chance. "Jason, Leo—she's tricking you. Put down your weapons. "

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe-"

"Oh wait, the idiotic psycho who turned Percy into a guini-pig? You trained with her? Lady, I have some Hermes multivitamins to spare!" I yelled. Her highness gave me an annoyed look.

"Silence! I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!"

"Jason, Leo, listen to me. " Piper put all of her emotion into her voice. "Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"

They hesitated, and I could feel the spell shatter.

Jason blinked. "Leo, was I just about to stab you?" I just had to grin.

"Something about my mother … ?" Leo frowned, then turned toward Medea. "You … you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop. " He lifted his arm. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it. "

"Bah!" Medea sneered. "I'll simply collect payment another way. "

She pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator.

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before Jason could go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo said meekly.

The dragons spread their wings and hissed. I could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on Piper.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned. "They'll paralyze you. "

"Indeed!" Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time—sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!"

* * *

**And chapter 21 out! I have nothing much to say, except I hope you enjoyed! **

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez **


	22. Chapter 22

The dragons lunged. Leo and Jason charged to intercept. I was amazed how fearlessly the boys attacked—working like a team who had trained together for years, considering they were about to kill each other two minutes ago.

Medea was almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.

"Oh, no, you don't," I growled, and took off after her.

When Medea spotted me, she started climbing in earnest. She was pretty damn quick for a three-thousand-year-old lady. I climbed at top speed, taking the steps three at a time, but still I couldn't catch her. Medea didn't stop at floor two. She hopped the next escalator and continued to ascend.

The potions, I thought. Finally, my brain had decided to wake up and sort of try and help me out when my life was in danger. Of course that's what she would go for. She was famous for potions.

Down below, I heard the battle raging. Leo was blowing his safety whistle, and Jason was yelling to keep the dragons' attention. I didn't dare look—not while I was running with a sword in my hand. I could just see myself tripping and stabbing myself in the nose. Oh yeah. That would be a super heroic way to go.

I grabbed a shield from an armored manikin on floor three and continued to climb. I imagined the nymphs in foot racing yelling in the back of my mind, just like back in running class at Camp Half-blood. Or the more bossy ones anyway: Move it, Maxwell! You call that escalator-climbing?

I reached the top floor, breathing hard, but I was way too late. Medea had reached the potions counter.

The sorceress grabbed a swan-shaped vial—the blue one that caused painful death—and I did the only thing that my helpful brain came up with. I threw the shield.

Medea turned triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She stumbled backward, crashing over the counter, breaking vials and knocking down shelves. When the sorceress stood from the wreckage, her dress was stained a dozen different colors. Many of the stains were smoldering and glowing.

"Fool!" Medea wailed. "Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?"

"Kill you?" I said hopefully.

The carpet began to steam around Medea's feet. She coughed, and her face contorted in pain—or was she faking? The grip around my sword tightened.

Below, Leo called, "Jason, help!"

I risked a quick look, and almost sobbed in despair. One of the dragons had Leo pinned to the floor. It was baring its fangs, ready to snap. Jason was all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist. Piper was helping Jason, but she couldn't leave her post without ending Jason's life.

"You've doomed us all!" Medea screamed. Smoke was rolling across the carpet as the stain spread, throwing sparks and setting fires in the clothing racks. "You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building. There's no time—"

CRASH! The stained glass ceiling splintered in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store.

He hurtled into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. Only now did I really appreciate just how big and strong our metal friend was.

"That's my boy!" Leo yelled. I grinned. Looks like this wasn't it.

Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shuddered as the dragons banged against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they were contained.

Medea cursed in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor was on fire now. The air filled with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, I could feel the heat intensifying. I backed up to the edge of the railing, keeping my sword pointed toward Medea.

"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress knelt and snatched up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. "You want to find your friend alive? Take me with you!"

I glanced behind me. Leo, Jason and Piper were on board Festus's back, beckoning for me to come. The bronze dragon flapped his mighty wings, snatched the two cages with the satyr and the storm spirits in his claws, and began to ascend.

The building rumbled. Fire and the smoke curled up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid.

"You'll never survive your quest without me!" Medea growled. "You will never see your friend, dead or alive, and my patron will rise! Take me with you!"

For one heartbeat, I was tempted. The three of us back together again, laughing at Percy's dorkiness. Then I saw Medea's grim smile. The sorceress was confident in her powers of persuasion, confident that she could always make a deal, always escape and win in the end.

"Not today, witch. " I jumped over the side. I plummeted for only a second before Festus caught me, hauling me aboard its back.

I heard Medea screaming in rage as we soared through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago. Then the department store exploded behind us.

* * *

Leo kept looking back, for some reason. Maybe he expected to see those nasty sun dragons toting a flying chariot with a screaming magical saleswoman throwing potions, and I couldn't blame him, but nothing followed us.

He steered the dragon toward the southwest. Eventually, the smoke from the burning department store faded in the distance, but Leo's shoulders didn't relax until the suburbs of Chicago gave way to snowy fields, and the sun began to set.

"Good job, Festus. " He patted the dragon's metal hide. "You did awesome. "

The dragon shuddered. Gears popped and clicked in his neck.

I frowned. Those clicks didn't sound too good. If the corroded control disk was failing again—No, Leo spent ages repairing that. This would be a minor problem. Something Leo could fix. Leo looked around and gave me a worried look. He seemed to be having the same thoughts as me.

"I'll give you a tune-up next time we land," Leo promised. "You've earned some motor oil and Tabasco sauce. "

Festus whirled his teeth, but even that sounded weak. He flew at a steady pace, his great wings angling to catch the wind, but he was carrying a heavy load. Two cages in his claws plus four people on his back—the more I thought about it, the more worried I got. Even metal dragons had limits.

"Leo. " I patted his shoulder. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah … not bad for a brainwashed zombie. " His dark skin showed a tinge of pink. "Thanks for saving us back there, beauty queen, Doc. If you hadn't talked us out of that spell, and If you hadn't chased after her-"

"Don't worry about it," Piper said. I nodded to show I was in full agreement with that.

Leo tried for a grin, but even that was failing. I knew he felt terrible about how easily Medea had set him against his best friend. And those feelings hadn't come from nowhere—his resentment of the way Jason always got the spotlight and didn't really seem to need him. I didn't know what to say to him, really.

She helped kill his mom. I could only tell a little about how that was for him. Part of me wondered-Did she have something to do with my mom's death, too? Was that accidental spark not a coincidence?

When they had left Medea in that exploding store, I had felt a little too good. I hoped she wouldn't make it out, and would go right back to the Fields of Punishment, where she belonged. Those feelings didn't make me proud, really.

And if souls were coming back from the Underworld …was it possible my mom could be brought back?

I tried to put the idea aside. That was Frankenstein thinking. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. Medea might've been brought back to life, but she hadn't seemed quite human, with the hissing nails and the glowing head and whatnot.

No, my mom had passed on. Thinking any other way would just drive me bananas. Still, the thought kept poking at me, like an echo of Medea's voice.

"We're going to have to put down soon," Leo warned us. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that. "

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. Question is—where are we going?"

"The Bay Area," I guessed. I seemed to remember her Highness saying something like that. "Didn't Medea say something about Oakland?"

Piper didn't respond for so long, I wondered if he'd said something wrong.

"Piper's dad," Jason put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap. "

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said all three of you would die in the Bay Area. And besides … even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go. "

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leaned forward. "You mean you don't see it?" He pointed ahead of us, but I didn't see anything except clouds and the lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk.

"What?" Leo asked.

"That … whatever it is," Jason said. "In the air. "

I glanced back. Piper looked just as confused as I was.

"Right," Leo said. "Could you be more specific on the 'whatever-it-is' part?"

"Like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there. We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it. "

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"Well, it's a magic trail in the wind," Jason said. "Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly. "

"Or it's another trap," Piper said.

"Great way to be optimistic..." I rolled my eyes.

But in reality, her tone worried me. She didn't just sound nervous. She sounded broken with despair, like they'd already sealed their fate, and like it was her fault.

"Pipes, you all right?" Leo asked.

"Don't call me that. "

"Okay, fine. You don't like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad's in trouble and we can help—"

"You can't," she said, her voice getting shakier. "Look, I'm tired. If you don't mind …"

She leaned back against Jason and closed her eyes.

All right, I thought—pretty clear signal she didn't want to talk.

We flew in silence for a while. Festus seemed to know where he was going. He kept his course, gently curving toward the southwest and hopefully Aeolus's fortress. Another wind god to visit, a whole new flavor of crazy—Oh, boy, I really couldn't wait.

Leo looked beat out tired. His shoulders slumped, and his fingers were weak on the dragon's scales.

"Catch a few Z's," Jason said. "It's cool. Hand me the reins. "

"Nah, I'm okay—"

"Leo," I interjected, "you're not a machine. Besides, Jason's the only one who can see the vapor trail. He'll make sure we stay on course. " I then glared at him. "He'd better make sure we stay on course."

Jason gulped.

Leo's eyes started to close on their own. "All right. Maybe just …"

He didn't finish the sentence before slumping forward against the dragon's neck.

* * *

**Am I going to jinx it if I say-I have high hopes for this story. Thanks for reading, and please leave reveiws!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	23. Chapter 23

We were...well...screaming for our lives when Leo woke up.

We were spiraling to the ground in a free fall, still on the dragon's back, but Festus's hide was cold. His ruby eyes were dim.

"Not again!" Leo yelled. "You can't fall again!"

I could barely hold on to the dragon's metal scales. The wind stung my eyes, but I could just about see that Leo had managed to pull open the panel on the dragon's neck. He toggled the switches. He tugged the wires. The dragon's wings flapped once, but suddenly, I caught a whiff of burning bronze. I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, but I hoped Leo knew what he was doing. I didn't think Festus had the strength to keep flying, and I was pretty sure Leo couldn't get to the main control panel on the dragon's head—not in midair. I saw the lights of a city below us—just flashes in the dark as we plummeted in circles. We had only seconds before we crashed.

"Jason!" Leo screamed. "Take the girls and fly out of here!"

"What?"

"We need to lighten the load! I might be able to reboot Festus, but he's carrying too much weight!"

"What about you?" I cried. "If you can't reboot him—"

"I'll be fine," Leo yelled. "Just follow me to the ground. Go!"

Jason grabbed Piper around the waist. He held out his arm for me. We unbuckled our harnesses, and in a flash we were gone—shooting into the air.

I could just about see Leo. He seemed to be talking to Festus as he worked.

Jason's face was going red at the strain of holding us both.

"Extend your arms and legs!" he yelled. We complied.

I could hear Festus groan—metal creaking inside his neck. His eyes flickered weakly to life, and he spread his wings. Their fall turned into a steep glide.

"Good!" Leo yelled, so loud I could hear him in the wind rushing past my ears. "Come on, big boy. Come on!"

The ground was getting closer, and closer. We needed to land.

There was a big river—no. Not good for a fire-breathing dragon. We'd never get Festus out from the bottom if he sank, especially in freezing temperatures. Then, on the riverbanks, I spotted a white mansion with a huge snowy lawn inside a tall brick perimeter fence—like some rich person's private compound, all of it blazing with light. A perfect landing field. I yelled to Leo, and pointed at it. He nodded, did his best to steer the dragon toward it, and Festus seemed to come back to life. We could make this!

Then everything went wrong. As we approached the lawn, spotlights along the fence fixed on them, blinding me. I shielded my eyes. I heard bursts like tracer fire, the sound of metal being cut to shreds—and BOOM.

Festus crashed to the ground, and Leo blacked out.

* * *

When Leo came to his senses, Jason and Piper were to one side, leaning over him, and I had my hand on his forehead. He was lying in the snow, covered in mud and grease. He spit a clump of frozen grass out of his mouth.

"Where—"

"Lie still. " Piper had tears in her eyes. "You rolled pretty hard when—when Festus—"

"Where is he?" Leo sat up, but he flopped back down again. They'd landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the way in—gunfire?

"Seriously, Leo," Jason said. "You could be hurt. You shouldn't—"

Leo pushed himself to his feet. Then his head turned towards the wreckage. Festus dropped the big canary cages as he came over the fence, because they'd rolled in different directions and landed on their sides, perfectly undamaged.

Festus hadn't been so lucky.

The dragon had disintegrated. His limbs were scattered across the lawn. His tail hung on the fence. The main section of his body had plowed a trench twenty feet wide and fifty feet long across the mansion's yard before breaking apart. What remained of his hide was a charred, smoking pile of scraps. Only his neck and head were somewhat intact, resting across a row of frozen rosebushes like a pillow.

"No," Leo sobbed. He ran to the dragon's head and stroked its snout. The dragon's eyes flickered weakly. Oil leaked out of his ear.

"You can't go," Leo pleaded. "You're the best thing I ever fixed. "

The dragon's head whirred its gears, as if it were purring. We stood next to him, but Leo kept his eyes fixed on the dragon. He closed his eyes, and silent tears streamed down his face.

"It's not fair," he said.

The dragon clicked. A long click, and two short ones. Almost like a pattern...morse code. Leo stared at the dragon, like they were having a telepathic conversation.

"Yeah," Leo said. "I understand. I will. I promise. "

The dragon's eyes went dark. Festus was gone.

Leo cried. He didn't even look embarrassed. Jason and Piper stood on either side, patting his shoulders, saying comforting things, and I stood a bit to the side. Either way, Leo wasn't paying attention.

Finally Jason said, "I'm so sorry, man. What did you promise Festus?"

Leo sniffled. He opened the dragon's head panel, just to be sure, but the control disk was cracked and burned beyond repair.

"Something my dad told me," Leo said. "Everything can be reused. "

"Your dad talked to you?" Jason asked. "When was this?"

Leo didn't answer. He worked and tugged at the dragon's neck hinges until the head was detached. It weighed about a hundred pounds, but Leo managed to hold it in his arms. He looked up at the starry sky and said, "Take him back to the bunker, Dad. Please, until I can reuse him. I've never asked you for anything. "

The wind picked up, and the dragon's head floated out of Leo's arms like it weighed nothing. It flew into the sky and disappeared.

I looked at him in amazement. "He answered you?"

"I had a dream," Leo managed. "Tell you later. "

I knew he knew he owed us a better explanation, but right now Leo could barely speak. He looked like a broken machine himself—like someone had removed one little part of him, and now he'd never be complete. He might move, he might talk, he might keep going and do his job. But he'd always be off balance, never calibrated exactly right.

Still, he couldn't afford to break down completely. Otherwise, Festus had died for nothing. We had to complete this quest. Or the world would crumble down. Or explode. Take your pick.

I looked around. The large white mansion glowed in the center of the grounds. Tall brick walls with lights and security cameras surrounded the perimeter, but now I could see just how well those walls were defended.

"Where are we?" he asked. "I mean, what city?"

"Omaha, Nebraska," I said. "I saw a billboard as we flew in. But I don't know what this mansion is. We came in right behind you, but as you were landing, Leo, I swear it looked like—I don't know—"

"Lasers," Leo said. He picked up a piece of dragon wreckage and threw it toward the top of the fence. Immediately a turret popped up from the brick wall and a beam of pure heat incinerated the bronze plating to ashes.

Jason whistled. "Some defense system. How are we even alive?"

"Festus," Leo said miserably. "He took the fire. The lasers sliced him to bits as he came in so they didn't focus on you. I led him into a death trap. "

"You couldn't have known," Piper said. "He saved our lives again. "

"But what now?" Jason said. "The main gates are locked, and I'm guessing I can't fly us out of here without getting shot down. "

Leo looked up the walkway at the big white mansion. "Since we can't go out, we'll have to go in. "

* * *

I would've died five times on the way to the front door if not for Leo.

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

"You're amazing, man," Jason said.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing. "

"Hey, that wasn't your—"

"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced.

I stared at the door in disbelief. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"

Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation.

Before Jason could follow, I caught his arm. "He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally. "

"Yeah," Jason said. "Yeah, okay. "

But I could tell that still he felt terrible. Back in Medea's store, he'd said some pretty harsh stuff to Leo—stuff a friend shouldn't say, not to mention the fact he'd almost skewered Leo with a sword. If it hadn't been for me and Piper, they'd both be dead. And we hadn't gotten out of that encounter easily, either.

"Piper," Jason said, "I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad—if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not. "

Her eyes looked shattered, like someone had smashed a hammer through them, and she couldn't find all the pieces.

"Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Please—don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together. "

She ducked inside.

"Together," Jason said to himself, but I could hear him. "Yeah, we're doing great with that. "

My first impression of the house: Dark.

From the echo of our footsteps, I could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As my's eyes adjusted to a nocturnal environment, I saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

"Where's the light switch?" Jason's voice echoed alarmingly through the room.

"Don't see one," Leo said.

"Fire?" Piper suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working. "

"Your fire is out? Why?" I asked.

"Well, if I knew that—"

"Okay, okay," I said. "What do we do—explore?"

Leo shook his head. "After all those traps outside? Bad idea. "

My skin tingled. I hated being a demigod. Looking around, I didn't see a comfortable room to hang out in. I imagined vicious storm spirits lurking in the curtains, dragons under the carpet, a chandelier made of lethal ice shards, ready to impale us in T-10 seconds.

"Leo's right," he said. "We're not separating again—not like in Detroit. "

"Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes. " Piper's voice quavered. "I needed that. "

"It's a few hours until dawn," Jason guessed. "Too cold to wait outside. Let's bring the cages in and make camp in this room. Wait for daylight; then we can decide what to do. "

Nobody offered a better idea, so we rolled in the cages with Coach Hedge and the storm spirits, then settled in. Thankfully, Leo didn't find any poison throw pillows or electric whoopee cushions on the sofas.

Leo didn't seem in the mood to make more tacos. Besides, we had no fire, so we settled for cold rations.

As we ate, I studied the metal statues along the walls. They looked like Greek gods or heroes. Maybe that was a good sign. Or maybe they were used for target practice. On the coffee table sat a tea service and a stack of glossy brochures, but I couldn't make out the words. The big chair at the other end of the table looked like a throne. None of us tried to sit in it.  
The canary cages didn't make the place any less creepy. The storm spirits kept churning in their prison, hissing and spinning, and I got the uncomfortable feeling they were watching Jason. I could sense their hatred for the children of Zeus—the lord of the sky who'd ordered Aeolus to imprison their kind. The venti would like nothing better than to tear Jason apart.

As for Coach Hedge, he was still frozen mid-shout, his cudgel raised. Leo was working on the cage, trying to open it with various tools, but the lock seemed to be giving him a hard time. I decided not to sit next to him in case Hedge suddenly unfroze and went into ninja goat mode.

Despite how weird I felt, once my stomach was full, I started to nod off. The couches were a little too comfortable —a lot better than a dragon's back—and I hadn't slept since the night we went to the bunker. I was exhausted.

Piper had already curled up on the other sofa. I wondered if she was really asleep or dodging a conversation about her dad. Whatever Medea had meant in Chicago, about Piper getting her dad back if she cooperated—it didn't sound good. If Piper had risked her own dad to save them, that made me feel even guiltier. Not that I'd know what she was going through, y'know, with my dad being god of godly glamour and pzazz.

And we were running out of time. If I had my days straight, this was early morning of December 20. Which meant tomorrow was the winter solstice.

* * *

**Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	24. Chapter 24

"Get some sleep," Leo said, still working on the locked cage. "It's your turn. "

Jason took a deep breath. "Leo, I'm sorry about that stuff I said in Chicago. That wasn't me. You're not annoying and you do take stuff seriously—especially your work. I wish I could do half the things you can do. "

Leo lowered his screwdriver. He looked at the ceiling and shook his head like, What am I gonna do with this guy?

"I try very hard to be annoying," Leo said. "Don't insult my ability to annoy. And how am I supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? I'm a lowly mechanic. You're like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I'm supposed to resent you. "

"Lord of the Universe?"

"Sure, you're all—bam! Lightning man. And 'Watch me fly. I am the eagle that soars—'" I snorted

"Shut up, Valdez. " Jason grinned.

Leo managed a little smile. "Yeah, see. I do annoy you. "

"I apologize for apologizing. "

"Thank you. " Leo went back to work, but the tension had eased between the two of them. Leo still looked sad and exhausted—just not quite so angry. I breathed a mental sigh of relief.

"Go to sleep, Jason," I ordered. "It's gonna take Leo a few hours to get this goat man free. Then he still got to figure out how to make the winds a smaller holding cell, 'cause we am not lugging that canary cage to California. "

"You did fix Festus, you know," Jason said. "You gave him a purpose again. I think this quest was the high point of his life."

I was afraid Jason'd blown it and made Leo mad again, but Leo just sighed.

"I hope," he said. "Now, Alex is right. Sleep, man. Al, you too. I want some time without you organic life forms. "

I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but we didn't argue. We went to opposite closed his eyes and had a long, blissfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

I only woke when the yelling started.

"Ahhhggggggh!"

Me and Jason leaped to our feet. I wasn't really sure what was more jarring—the full sunlight that now bathed the room, or the screaming satyr.

"Coach is awake," I said, which was kind of unnecessary. Gleeson Hedge was capering around on his furry hindquarters, swinging his club and yelling, "Die!" as he smashed the tea set, whacked the sofas, and charged at the throne.

"Coach!" Jason yelled.

Hedge turned, breathing hard. His eyes were so wild, Jason was afraid he might attack. The satyr was still wearing his orange polo shirt and his coach's whistle, but his horns were clearly visible above his curly hair, and his beefy hindquarters were definitely all goat. Could you call a goat beefy? Jason put the thought aside.

"You're the new kid," Hedge said, lowering his club. "Jason. " He looked at Leo, then me, then Piper who'd apparently also just woken up. Her hair looked like it had become a nest for a friendly hamster.

"Valdez, McLean," the coach said. "What's going on? Maxwell, what are you doing here? We were at the Grand Canyon. The anemoi thuellai were attacking and—" He zeroed in on the storm spirit cage, and his eyes went back to DEFCON 1. "Die!"

"Whoa, Coach!" Leo stepped in his path, which was pretty brave, even though Hedge was six inches shorter. "It's okay. They're locked up. We just sprang you from the other cage. "

"Cage? Cage? What's going on? Just because I'm a satyr doesn't mean I can't have you doing plank push-ups, Valdez!"

Jason cleared his throat. "Coach—Gleeson—um, whatever you want us to call you. You saved us at the Grand Canyon. You were totally brave. "

"Of course I was!"

"The extraction team came and took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we'd lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their—um, operator, Medea. "

"That witch! Wait—that's impossible. She's mortal. She's dead. "

"Yeah, well," I said, "somehow she got not dead anymore. "

Hedge nodded, his eyes narrowing. "So! You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!"

"Um. " Piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so Coach Hedge wouldn't attack her. "Actually, Glee—can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We're on a quest for something else. We kind of found you by accident. "

"Oh. " The coach's spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. Then his eyes lit up again. "But there are no accidents! Not on quests. This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch's lair, eh? Why is everything gold?"

"Gold?" I looked around. From the way the other three caught their breath, I guessed they hadn't noticed yet either.

The room was full of gold—the statues, the tea set Hedge had smashed, the chair that was definitely a throne. Even the curtains—which seemed to have opened by themselves at daybreak—appeared to be woven of gold fiber.

"Nice," Leo said. "No wonder they got so much security. "

"This isn't—" Piper stammered. "This isn't Medea's place, Coach. It's some rich person's mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here. "

"It's destiny, cupcakes!" Hedge insisted. "I'm meant to protect you. What's the quest?"

Before I could decide if I wanted to explain or just shove Coach Hedge back into his cage, a door opened at the far end of the room.

A pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. He had a white beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. He froze when he saw them, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth.

He glanced into the room behind him and called, "Son? Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the throne room. "

Coach Hedge did the obvious thing. He raised his club and shouted, "Die!"

It took all three of us to hold back the satyr.

"Whoa, Coach!" Jason said. "Bring it down a few notches. "

A younger man charged into the room. I guessed he must be Lit, the old guy's son. He was dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said corn huskers, and he held a sword that looked like it could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly dark hair, would've been handsome if it wasn't also sliced up.

Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat, and stalked toward him, swinging his sword overhead. "Hold on!" Piper stepped forward, trying for her best calming voice. "This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine. " Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary. It didn't help that Hedge was screaming,

"I'll get them! Don't worry!"

"Coach," I pleaded, "they may be friendly. Besides, we're trespassing in their house. "

"Thank you!" said the old man in the bathrobe. "Now, who are you, and why are you here?"

"Let's all put our weapons down," Piper said. "Coach, you first. "

Hedge clenched his jaw. "Just one thwack?"

"No," Piper said.

"What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize. "

"No!" Piper insisted.

"Meh. " Coach Hedge lowered his club.

Piper gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day-old clothes, she looked extremely cute, and Jason looked a little jealous she was giving Lit that smile.

Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. "You speak well, girl—fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through. "

"Appreciate it," Leo said. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime. "

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed. "Well, since you're here. Please, sit down. "

Lit frowned. "Your Majesty—"

"No, no, it's fine, Lit," the old man said. "New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities. " He did his best to smile, though it looked a little forced. "Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas. "

"Midas? Impossible," said Coach Hedge. "He died. "

"Wow," I muttered under my breath, so no-one but Leo could hear me. "Just great going, Coach." Leo gave me a smile of agreement.

We were sitting on the sofas now, while the king reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and I kept worrying the old guy would forget and uncross his legs. Hopefully he was wearing golden boxers under there.

Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at Piper and flexing his muscular arms just to be annoying.

Piper sat forward. "What our satyr friend means, Your Majesty, is that you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago. "

"Interesting. " The king gazed out the windows at the brilliant blue skies and the winter sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children's blocks —way too clean and small for a regular city.

"You know," the king said, "I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?"

"A very long dream, Your Majesty. "

"And yet, now we're here. I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better. "

"But how?" I asked bluntly. "You didn't happen to have a … patron?"

Midas hesitated, but there was a sly twinkle in his eyes. "Does it matter, my dear?"

"We could kill them again," Hedge suggested.

"Coach, not helping," Jason said. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard?"

Leo coughed. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security. "

"Oh, yes," the king said. "Sorry about that. But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!"

He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons—a pass code, I guessed.

"There," Midas said. "Safe to go out now. "

Coach Hedge grunted. "Fine. But if you need me …" He winked at Jason meaningfully. Then he pointed at himself, pointed two fingers at their hosts, and sliced a finger across his throat. Very subtle sign language. I shook my head, disappointed.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason said.

After the satyr left, Piper tried another diplomatic smile. "So … you don't know how you got here?"

"Oh, well, yes. Sort of," the king said. He frowned at Lit. "Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather. "

"The oracle," Lit said. The oracle?

"Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha. " The king shrugged. "Apparently I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn't it? Lit—it's short for Lityerses, by the way—horrible name, but his mother insisted—Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days. "

"Oh. " Piper tried to sound enthusiastic. "How nice. "

Lit's smile was more of a cruel sneer. I was now one hundred percent sure I didn't like this guy, and I was starting to regret sending Hedge outside.

"So," Jason said. "All this gold—"

The king's eyes lit up. "Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!"

I looked at the brochures on the coffee table. The title said GOLD: Invest for Eternity.

"Um, you sell gold?" I asked. Pretty stupid, I know.

"No, no," the king said. "I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!"

I frowned. "I've seen that commercial."

"Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators!" the king said. "I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice. "

"But …" Piper shook her head in confusion. "Your Majesty, you gave up the golden touch, didn't you?"

The king looked astonished. "Gave it up?"

"Yes," Piper said. "You got it from some god—"

"Dionysus," the king agreed. "I'd rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch. "

"But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold," Piper remembered. "And you realized how greedy you'd been. So you repented. "

"Repented!" King Midas looked at Lit incredulously. "You see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I'd lost my magic touch?"

"Well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life. "

"That's all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents"—he gestured to his statues—"but we chose to live next to a river just in case. Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back—"

Lit retreated a few steps. "I hate that. "

"I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?"

"Well …" Piper looked truly lost now. "Isn't that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?"

Midas laughed. "My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here. "

Piper hesitated, but she didn't look eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to gold, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still looked flexible and soft, but definitely gold. The king tossed it back.

"As you see, I can still turn anything to gold," Midas said. "That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead—put your little storm spirit enemies in there. "

"Seriously?" Leo was suddenly interested. He took the bag from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. "Gotta admit. That's cool. "

"You see?" Midas said. "My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn't learn any lesson, and life isn't a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue. "

"She talked a lot," Lit offered.

"Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold. " Midas pointed. There in the corner was a golden statue of a girl with a shocked expression, as if she were thinking, Dad!

"That's horrible!" Piper said.

"Nonsense. She doesn't mind. Besides, if I'd learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?"

Midas pulled off his oversize sleeping cap, and I didn't know whether to laugh or get sick. Midas had long fuzzy gray ears sticking up from his white hair—like Bugs Bunny's, but they weren't rabbit ears. They were donkey ears.

* * *

**Once again, sorry for leaving it on a terrible 'cliff-hanger'.**

**Yours, **

**MilkandCheez**

**ps. Thanks for sticking with me for 24 chapters!**

**pps. Is it just me, or does Boris Johnson look like a pale version of Donald Trump?**


	25. Chapter 25

"Oh, wow," Leo said. "I didn't need to see that. "

"Terrible, isn't it?" Midas sighed. "A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo, your father, I believe, my child, and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing. " Midas pointed out another golden statue—a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. "That's him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again. "

The king smiled. Suddenly he didn't strike me as a harmless old man in a bathrobe. His eyes had a merry glow to them—the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness, and enjoyed it. "Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh Lit? To bankroll our patron. "

Lit nodded. "That and my good sword arm. "

I glanced at my friends. Suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder.

"So you do have a patron," Jason said. "You work for the giants. "

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. "Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all. "

My fingers curled around my pendent. "The last group?"

"Hunters," Lit snarled. "Blasted girls from Artemis. "

Jason's eyes widened, and a spark of electricity—a literal spark—travel down his spine. I caught a whiff of electrical fire like he'd just melted some of the springs in the sofa.

Thalia, Jason's sister had been here.

"When?" he demanded. "What happened?"

Lit shrugged. "Few days ago? I didn't get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don't recall. "

Percy, I thought. Annabeth had asked the Hunters to go on his trail. Jason turning up now, the Hunters on the same track as us, Percy's disappearance. It had to be connected somehow. The Fates were cruel.

Midas scratched his donkey ears. "Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," he recalled. "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors. "

Jason stood warily and glanced at us. We got the message.

"Well," Piper said, managing a smile. "It's been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag. "

"Oh, but you can't leave!" Midas said. "I know you're not serious investors, but that's all right! I have to rebuild my collection. "

Lit was smiling cruelly. The king rose, and Leo and Piper and I moved away from him.

"Don't worry," the king assured them. "You don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice—join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it's good either way. "

Piper tried to use her charmspeak. "Your Majesty, you can't—"

Quicker than any old man should've been able to move, Midas lashed out and grabbed her wrist.

"No!" Jason and I yelled at the same time.

But a frost of gold spread over Piper, and in a heartbeat she was a glittering statue. Leo tried to summon fire, but he'd forgotten his power wasn't working. Midas touched his hand, and Leo transformed into solid metal.

I was so horrified, I couldn't move. Then, Midas reached forward, and the last thing I saw was a golden mist shimmering it's way up my hand.

* * *

_The girl with the fuzzy hair looked like she wanted to run. Opposite her were two woman, one who was painfully familiar, and kept reminding me of the sea of monsters. Three guards were in the room. All of them kept their distance. The familiar one was armed with just a dagger. I sensed this was deep underground, and it could collapse on them any moment. Even though I didn't know this girl, I didn't want her to go die alone in a cave. Unfortunately, these girls looked like they could fight. Even though the familiar one had only a dagger, I suspected she could use it pretty well. And the dark girl was unarmed. She patted her jacket pocket, which made me curious to know what was inside. The taller woman stared at her intently, seeming to be reading her thoughts. _

_"Forget about escape. Of course, we'd respect you for trying. But we'd have to kill you." _

_"Thanks for the warning."_

_ Hylla shrugged. "The least I can do. I believe you come in peace. I believe Reyna sent you."_

_Again. That name. Reyna._

_"But you won't help?" The queen-like figure studied a necklace-oh Gods! It was Percy's camp half blood necklace._

_ "It's complicated," she said. "Amazons have always had a rocky relationship with other demigods — especially male demigods. We fought for King Priam in the Trojan War, but Achilles killed our queen, Penthesilea. Years before that, Hercules stole Queen Hippolyta's belt — this belt I'm wearing. It took us centuries to recover it. Long before that, at the very beginning of the Amazon nation, a hero named Bellerophon killed our first queen, Otrera."_

_ "You mean the lady — " _

_" — who just left, yes. Otrera, our first queen, daughter of Ares." _

_"Mars?"_

_There again. The Roman names. So much was familiar about this vision, yet it was so foreign._

_The queen made a sour face. _

_"No, definitely Ares. Otrera lived long before Rome, in a time when all demigods were Greek. Unfortunately, some of our warriors still prefer the old ways. Children of Ares... they are always the worst." _

_"The old ways. . ." The girl with fluffy hair looked confused. I could tell she never believed it, even when Percy came to her camp. She didn't look convinced._

_ "You mean the Amazons are a mix. . .Greek and Roman?" _

_The queen continued to examine the necklace — the clay beads, a wax tablet. She slipped Reyna's silver ring off the cord and put it on her own finger. "I suppose they don't teach you about that at Camp Jupiter. The gods have many aspects. Mars, Ares. Pluto, Hades. Being immortal, they tend to accumulate personalities. They are Greek, Roman, American — a combination of all the cultures they've influenced over the eons. Do you understand?"_

_ "I — I'm not sure. Are all Amazons demigods?" The queen spread her hands. "We all have some immortal blood, but many of my warriors are descended from demigods. Some have been Amazons for countless generations. Others are children of minor gods. Kinzie, the one who brought you here, is the daughter of a nymph. Ah — here she is now." _

_ The girl with the auburn hair approached the queen and bowed. _

_"The prisoners are safely locked away," Kinzie reported. "But..."_

"Yes?" the queen asked. Kinzie swallowed like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Otrera made sure fire followers are guarding the cells."

* * *

I woke up, shivering with a blanket around my shoulders.

"Oh, gods." My teeth chattered. "He turned me to gold!"

"I think you're good now. " Leo leaned over and threw a fuzzy blanket over my head, but I still felt as cold as a Boread. "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

"Why?" I asked.

"We, ah, sorta raided you supplies. We didn't know where else to look."

I shook my head. "It's fine."

I blinked, trying to figure out where we were. Next to me, a campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. We were in a shallow cave, but it didn't offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways. It might've been day or night. The storm made it too dark to tell.

"Piper, Jason, Leo? You guys okay?"

"Present and un-gold-ified." Leo was also wrapped in blankets. He didn't look great, but better than I felt. "I got the precious metal treatment too," he said. "But we came out of it faster. Dunno why. We had to dunk Piper in the river to get her back completely. Tried to dry you off, Pipes, but … it's really, really cold. "

"You've got hypothermia," Jason said. "We risked as much nectar as we could. Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—"

"Sports medicine. " The coach bent over her. "Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it'll pass. You probably won't die. Probably. "

"Thanks," Piper said weakly. "How did you beat Midas?"

Jason told her the story, putting most of it down to luck.

The coach snorted. "Kid's being modest. You should've seen him. Hi-yah! Slice! Boom with the lightning!"

"Coach, you didn't even see it," Jason said. "You were outside eating the lawn. "

But the satyr was just warming up. "Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told him, 'Kid, I'm proud of you! If you could just work on your upper body strength—'"

"Coach," said Jason.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up, please. "

"Sure. " The coach sat down at the fire and started chewing his cudgel.

Jason put his hand on Piper's forehead and checked her temperature. "Leo, can you stoke the fire?"

"On it. " Leo summoned a baseball-sized clump of flames and lobbed it into the campfire.

"Do I look that bad?" Piper shivered.

"Nah," Jason said.

"You're a terrible liar," she said. "Where are we?"

"Pikes Peak," Jason said. "Colorado. "

"But that's, what—five hundred miles from Omaha?" I asked, surprised.

"Something like that," Jason agreed. "I harnessed the storm spirits to bring us this far. They didn't like it—went a little faster than I wanted, almost crashed us into the mountainside before I could get them back in the bag. I'm not going to be trying that again. "

"Why are we here?"

Leo sniffed. "That's what I asked him. "

Jason gazed into the storm as if watching for something. "That glittery wind trail we saw yesterday? It was still in the sky, though it had faded a lot. I followed it until I couldn't see it anymore. Then—honestly I'm not sure. I just felt like this was the right place to stop. "

"'Course it is. " Coach Hedge spit out some cudgel splinters. "Aeolus's floating palace should be anchored above us, right at the peak. This is one of his favorite spots to dock. "

"Maybe that was it. " Jason knit his eyebrows. "I don't know. Something else, too …"

"The Hunters were heading west," Piper remembered. "Do you think they're around here?"

Jason rubbed his forearm as if the tattoos were bothering him. "I don't see how anyone could survive on the mountain right now. The storm's pretty bad. It's already the evening before the solstice, but we didn't have much choice except to wait out the storm here. We had to give you guys some time to rest before we tried moving. "

He most certainly didn't need to convince _me_. The wind howling outside the cave scared me, and I couldn't stop shivering. Piper sniffed.

"We have to get you warm. " Jason sat next to her and held out his arms a little awkwardly. "Uh, you mind if I …"

"I suppose. " She tried to sound nonchalant, but she failed. And she made herself look like an utter fool.

He put his arms around her and held her. They scooted closer to the fire. Coach Hedge chewed on his club and spit splinters into the fire. I pulled the blankets around me closer, but I could already feel my Apollo powers kick in.

Leo broke out some cooking supplies and started frying burger patties on an iron skillet. "So, guys, long as you're cuddled up for story time … something I've been meaning to tell you. On the way to Omaha, I had this dream. Kinda hard to understand with the static and the Wheel of Fortune breaking in—"

"Wheel of Fortune?" I assumed Leo was kidding, but when he looked up from his burgers, his expression was deadly serious.

"The thing is," he said, "my dad Hephaestus talked to me. "

Leo told us about his dream. In the firelight, with the wind howling, the story was even creepier. I could imagine the static-filled voice of the god warning about giants who were the sons of Tartarus, and about Leo losing some friends along the way. I hoped one of those friends wasn't me.

I tried to concentrate on something good: All my friends around me, Leo next to me, graphically telling the story in the fast, nervous way that I loved.

"I don't understand. If demigods and gods have to work together to kill the giants, why would the gods stay silent? If they need us—"

"Ha," said Coach Hedge. "The gods hate needing humans. They like to be needed by humans, but not the other way around. Things will have to get a whole lot worse before Zeus admits he made a mistake closing Olympus. "

"Coach," I deadpanned, "that was almost an intelligent comment. "

Hedge huffed. "What? I'm intelligent! I'm not surprised you cupcakes haven't heard of the Giant War. Well, apart from you Maxwell. You were on the front lines. Literally." Everyone looked at me. I shrugged it off. "The gods don't like to talk about it. Bad PR to admit you needed mortals to help beat an enemy. That's just embarrassing. "

"There's more, though," Jason said. "When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera—she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone's influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?"

I shuddered. I'd had a similar thought—that some force we couldn't see was manipulating things behind the scenes, helping the giants. Maybe the same force was keeping monsters and giants informed about their movements, and had even knocked their dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Perhaps sleeping Dirt Woman, or another servant of hers …

Leo set hamburger buns on the skillet to toast. "Yeah, Hephaestus said something similar, like Zeus was acting weirder than usual. But what bothered me was the stuff my dad didn't say. Like a couple of times he was talking about the demigods, and how he had so many kids and all. I don't know. He acted like getting the greatest demigods together was going to be almost impossible—like Hera was trying, but it was a really stupid thing to do, and there was some secret Hephaestus wasn't supposed to tell me. "

Jason shifted in his place uncomfortably. His ripped muscles were tensed.

"Chiron was the same way back at camp," I remembered. "He mentioned a sacred oath not to discuss—something. Coach, you know anything about that?"

"Nah. I'm just a satyr. They don't tell us the juicy stuff. Especially an old—" He stopped himself.

"An old guy like you?" Piper asked. "But you're not that old, are you?"

"Hundred and six," the coach muttered.

I coughed so hard Leo had to slap me on the back. "Say what?"

"Don't catch your panties on fire, Maxwell. That's just fifty-three in human years. Still, yeah, I made some enemies on the Council of Cloven Elders. I've been a protector a longtime. But they started saying I was getting unpredictable. Too violent. Can you imagine?"

"Wow. " I tried not to look at my friends. "That's hard to believe."

* * *

**Hey guys! So I won't be uploading for a bit 'cause I'm going to Barcelona! Finally time to put some of my Google translated Spanish to use! All hail Leo. All hail. Hail. **

**Yours, **

**MilkandCheez**

**P.S- Find the hot.**

**coldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldleovaldezcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcold. **

**Just something to think about.**


	26. Bonus Chapter

**Hiya! So this is just a bonus chapter to make up for the chapter I missed/will miss so yeah. It's just random stuff of the top of my head. Enjoy!**

* * *

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

Philosophy is wondering if tomato ketchup is a smoothie.

Common sense is knowing that TOMATO KETCHUP IS NOT A SMOOTHIE YOU DAMN NASTIES!

* * *

Accidentally email a co-worker a porn link. Then I email it to 10 other co-workers, and call it a virus. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

* * *

Old people at weddings always poke me, and say in a really annoying voice, 'You're next.'

So at funerals, I poke them and say the same thing back.

* * *

In Latin class, the teacher asked for an adjective ending in '-us'. So I remembered Jason was all like 'In latin, Festus means happy.'. So I said Festus. And then the teacher was all like, 'No Festus doesn't count, but Fessus, which is tired, would.' That's when I realised that 'Laetus' meant happy. So I searched up what 'Festus' meant, and Turns out 'Festus' meant 'Holiday'. And then I was just like

...Rick Riordan lied to me.

* * *

When you use hand sanitizer, and it says 'kills 99.99% of germs', do you ever feel pity for the 0.01% of germs that have to watch their friends die?

No.

...why you heartless piece of sh*t.

* * *

**Okay I'm done now byeeeee!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez.**

**Ps-I wasn't thinking when I made this chapter. But I'm uploading it anyway.**


	27. Chapter 26

Coach scowled. "Yeah, then finally we get a good war going with the Titans, and do they put me on the front lines? No! They send me as far away as possible—the Canadian frontier, can you believe it? Then after the war, they put me out to pasture. The Wilderness School. Bah! Like I'm too old to be helpful just because I like playing offense. All those flower-pickers on the Council—talking about nature. "

"I thought satyrs liked nature," Piper ventured.

"Shoot, I love nature," Hedge said. "Nature means big things killing and eating little things! And when you're a —you know—vertically challenged satyr like me, you get in good shape, you carry a big stick, and you don't take nothing from no one! That's nature. " Hedge snorted indignantly. "Flower-pickers. Anyway, I hope you got something vegetarian cooking, Valdez. I don't do flesh. "

"Yeah, Coach. Don't eat your cudgel. I got some tofu patties here. Piper's a vegetarian too. I'll throw them on in a second."

The smell of frying burgers filled the air. I usually loved the smell of cooking meat, but my head hurt like it needed to remember something that wasn't there.

I'm losing it, I thought. Maybe being turned to gold disagreed with me more than I thought.

My head wasn't the only thing rebelling. Lying by the fire, with my friends in a circle along side me, and Jason opposite me, my conscience felt like a hot bullet slowing working its way toward my heart. All the guilt I'd been holding in since I first realised Jason's identity, and the fact I was keeping who he was from him was about to kill me.

And moreover, I was worried about Percy. Even the girl with the bright hair, I barely knew her, yet I was rooting for her too.

For all I knew, they could be languishing in an under ground cave, while we were huddled around our miniature came fire.

Leo put tofu patties on the skillet. The wind kept raging. I pulled the blanket around me, and closed my eyes. Everything played before me.

* * *

_*Two days before Leo, Piper and Jason arrived*_

_"Annabeth!" I yelled._

_"Hold on!" she cried out. She brought the chariot lower down, and reached out her arm. As I was free falling downward, I grasped Annabeth's fingers. She attempted to pull me up, but I was gaining speed. _

_"Follow me down to the ground!" I screamed, wind whistling in my ears. My hair lashed out, whipping my face. I needed to get it cut. _

_Then I crashed into a billboard that said 'Have a Warm Winter in Arizona this Christmas!'. Yes. That's right. We were looking for Percy as far as the FREAKIN' Arizona desert. As I landed with a thud on some grassland, Annabeth swooped in._

_"Sorry I was late." She said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes, and then gestured for her to help me up. As she did this, I heard a voice. I looked behind me, to see some sand unsettle. I turned, dismissing it for a cactus dryad, but there it was again._

_'Alex...'_

_"Y-you go on," I told Annabeth uneasily. "I need to check something out."_

_"Are you sure?" she asked, looking at me weirdly._

_"Yeah." _

_Annabeth nodded, and walked away. I jogged over to the place where the sand had stirred._

_"Hello Dirt face."_

_The face of the sleeping lady rose out of the ground. She lay there, so still, that it seemed someone had just carved her out of sand, but her voice rang in my head, loud and clear._

_"Why, my little hero, it has been many months..."_

_"Many months of peace and quiet, more like," I spat out disgustedly._

_"I understand that you have found a way to defeat, and have as a consequent action, defeated my son, Kronos. However, I hope that I will provide a greater challenge."_

_"What do you mean? Explain yourself!" I cried hopelessly. But the face sunk back into the sand. As I scooped up a handful, and let each grain on it's own dribble back through my slightly parted fingers, I found something. A coin. No bigger than my thumb nail, but it radiated with power. On one side, a capital gamma was printed, and on the other side, was the message,_

_'Ακολουθήστε την καθοδήγησή μου, και θα είστε σίγουροι' (Follow my guidance, and you shall be spared)._

_That was the first time I had an idea of who the sleeping lady was._

* * *

I pulled the coin out, and played with it, turning it from one hand to the other. Suddenly, Piper stirred.

"We need to talk." She sat up, facing Jason. "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore. "

We looked at her with our mouths full of burger. Piper swallowed like she was regretting this.

"Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip," she said, "I had a dream vision—a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed. "

The flames crackled.

Finally, I said, "Enceladus? You mentioned that name before. "

Coach Hedge whistled. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Not somebody I'd want barbecuing my daddy goat. "

Jason and I both gave him a shut up look. "Piper, go on. What happened next?"

"I—I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry. "

"Jane?" Leo remembered. "Didn't Medea say something about controlling her?"

Piper nodded. "To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realize it would be with us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you three dead. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area—I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange. "

She didn't meet our eyes. She closed them and swallowed, like she expected us to ram her through.

Instead, Jason scooted next to her and put his arm around her again. "God, Piper. I'm so sorry. "

Leo nodded. "No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you. "

Piper glared at us. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!"

"Aw, come on," Jason said. "You've saved all three of us on this quest. I'd put my life in your hands any day. "

"Same," I said. "Can I have a hug too?"

"You don't get it!" Piper said. "I've probably just killed my dad, telling you this. "

"I doubt it. " Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco. "Giant hasn't gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He'll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain, right?"

Piper nodded uncertainly.

"So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else," Hedge reasoned. "And she has to be saved by the same day. So you have to choose—rescue your dad, or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad. Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You're obviously one of the eight in the Great Prophecy. "

One of the eight. The words darkened the cave, bringing a chill in the air. We'd talked about it, but it wasn't a happy prospect.

"So we have no choice," she said miserably. "We have to save Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That's our quest. The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn't stupid. He'll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He'll kill my dad. "

"He's not going to kill your dad," Leo said. "We'll save him. "

"We don't have time!" Piper cried. "Besides, it's a trap. "

"We're your friends, beauty queen," Leo said. "We're not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan. "

Coach Hedge grumbled. "Would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell you that. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. Old home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. Maxwell, kid, you saw that. Bloody hell, you lifted up the sky too, you and Jackson. You felt the power around it.I hope that's not the mountain you saw. "

Jason and Leo gave me appreciative looks, making me huddle down into my blankets, and tug my grey strand of hair.

However, Piper looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. This was inland."

Jason frowned at the fire, like he was trying to remember something.

"Bad reputation … that doesn't seem right. The Bay Area …"

"You think you've been there?" I asked.

"I …" He looked like he was almost on the edge of a breakthrough. Then the anguish came back into his eyes. "I don't know. Hedge, what happened to Mount Othrys?"

* * *

**SpartanBoy-Glad to hear you thought the story was good! Yea, I know it was a little rushed, but I 've been trying to work on it, and I hope it's good now. Also, thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate them!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	28. Chapter 27

Hedge took another bite of paper and burger. I rolled my eyes. "Well, Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place, was going to be the headquarters for his new kingdom and all. Weren't any battles there, though. Kronos marched on Manhattan, tried to take Olympus. If I remember right, he left some other Titans in charge of his palace, but after Kronos got defeated in Manhattan, the whole palace just crumbled on its own. "

"No," Jason said.

We all looked at him.

"What do you mean, 'No'?" Leo asked.

"That's not what happened. I—" He tensed, looking toward the cave entrance. "Did you hear that?"

For a second, nothing. Then I heard it: howls piercing the night.

"Wolves," I said. "They sound close. "

Jason rose and summoned his sword. The rest of us got to our feet too. Piper tried, but fell right back down.

"Stay there," Jason told her. "We'll protect you. "

She gritted her teeth, but said nothing.

Then, just outside the firelight at the entrance of the cave, I saw a pair of red eyes glowing in dark.

Okay, I thought. Piper definately needs protecting.

More wolves edged into the firelight—black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill.

I pulled out my bow and quiver out of my belt.

Then Jason stepped forward and said something in Latin.

I didn't think a dead language would have much effect on wild animals, but the alpha wolf curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but the alpha wolf snapped at his ear. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark.

"Dude, I gotta study Latin. " Leo's hammer shook in his hand. "What'd you say, Jason?"

I cursed profoundly in Ancient Greek. "Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look. "

The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn't with them. They didn't attack. They waited—at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit.

The coach hefted his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape. "

"Coach, they'll rip you apart," Piper said.

"Nah, I'm good. "

Then I saw the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack.

"Stick together," Jason said. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind. "

Piper looked down, and swallowed. I could sort of understand what she was feeling. She was the weak link in their "pack" right now. No doubt the wolves could smell her fear. She might as well be wearing a sign that said free lunch.

The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight. His hair was greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur—wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others I couldn't identify. The furs didn't look cured, and from the smell, they weren't very fresh. His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves'—and they fixed on Jason with absolute hatred.

"Ecce," he said, "filli Romani. "

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellowed.

The wolf man snarled. "Tell your faun to mind his tongue, son of Rome. Or he'll be my first snack. "

I remembered vaguely from mythology classes with Annabeth that faun was the Roman name for satyr. Not exactly helpful information. Now, if I could remember who this wolf guy was in Greek mythology, and how to defeat him, that I could most definately use.

The wolf man studied our little 'wolf pack' as Jason had dubbed it. His nostrils twitched.

"So it's true," he mused. "A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. A daughter of Apollo. A faun. And a child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. All together, without killing each other. How interesting. "

"You were told about us?" Jason asked. "By whom?"

The man snarled—perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. "Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry. "

The wolves snarled in the darkness.

Out of the corner of her eye, I saw Leo put up his hammer and slip something else from his tool belt—a glass bottle full of clear liquid.

I racked my brain trying to place the wolf guy's name. I knew I'd heard it before, but I couldn't remember the details. I was starting to think Annabeth would've been better on this quest.

Lycaon glared at Jason's sword. He moved to each side as if looking for an opening, but Jason's blade moved with him.

"Leave," Jason ordered. "There's no food for you here. "

"Unless you want tofu burgers," Leo offered.

Lycaon bared his fangs. Apparently he wasn't a tofu fan.

"If I had my way," Lycaon said with regret, "I'd kill you first, son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts. "

"Ha," Coach Hedge said. "For good reason!"

Jason glanced over his shoulder. "Coach, you know this clown?"

"I do," I answered. The details of the myth came back to me—a short, horrible story me and Percy had laughed at over Capture the flag, when Annabeth told us. I wasn't laughing now.

"Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner," I recounted. "But the king wasn't sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged—"

"And killed my sons!" Lycaon howled. The wolves behind him howled too.

"So Zeus turned him into a wolf," Piper said. "They call… they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf. "

"The king of wolves," Coach Hedge finished. "An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt. "

Lycaon growled. "I will tear you apart, faun!"

"Oh, you want some goat, buddy? 'Cause I'll give you goat. "

"Stop it," Jason said. "Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but. . . ?"

"Sadly, Child of Rome, you are spoken for. Since this one"—he waggled his claws at Piper—"has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you herself. "

"Who?" Jason asked.

The wolf king snickered. "Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack. "

My heart tried to jump out of my chest. I didn't really get everything Lycaon had said, but a woman who wanted to kill Jason? Medea, I thought. Somehow, she must've survived the explosion.

Piper struggled to her feet, next to me. She wobbled for a bit, but I put my hand on her shoulder to offer support.

"You're going to leave now," Piper said, "before we destroy you. "

She tried to put power into the words, but she was too weak. Shivering in her blankets, pale and sweaty and barely able to hold a knife, she didn't look very threatening.

Lycaon's red eyes crinkled with humor. "A brave try, girl.I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter is needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner. "

At that moment, I knew I was going to die. But at least I'd die in battle, fighting next to my friends.

Jason took a step forward. "You're not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me."

Lycaon howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn't there.

Lycaon laughed. "Gold, bronze, steel—none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Jupiter. "

"Silver!" Piper cried. "Aren't werewolves hurt by silver?"

"We don't have any silver!" Jason said. "Wait, Alex, do you have any silver arrows?"

I shook my head. "Used them in the Titan war. Camp hasn't restocked them yet."

Wolves leaped into the firelight. Hedge charged forward with an elated "Woot!"

But Leo struck first. He threw his glass bottle and it shattered on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves—the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shot a burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupted.

Wolves yelped and retreated. Several caught fire and had to run back into the snow. Even Lycaon looked uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from us demigods.

"Aw, c'mon," Coach Hedge complained. "I can't hit them if they're way over there. "

Every time a wolf came closer, Leo shot a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seemed to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline was already dying down.

"I can't summon any more gas!" Leo warned. Then his face turned red. "Wow, that came out wrong. I mean the burningkind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?"

"Nothing," Jason said. "Not even a weapon that works. "

"Lightning?" Piper asked.

Jason concentrated, but nothing happened. "I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something. "

"Unleash the venti!" Piper said.

"Then we'll have nothing to give Aeolus," Jason said. "We'll have come all this way for nothing. "

Lycaon laughed. "I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me. "

Then I did something very surprising. I yelled to Leo,

"Pass some scissors!"

"What d'you want them for, huh? Cutting your hair?" he replied sarcastically.

"Yeah. Hair's a good fuel for fire, and I have quite a lot of it, y'know." Leo stared at me, surprised, but tossed the scissors anyway. I hastily chopped at my wavy strands, until it was just below shoulder length. Chucking them into the fire, I grinned in satisfaction as the flames burned bright.

"Nice!" Leo and Jason said at the same time. I grinned back.

But the wolves started pawing snow onto the fire, putting bits out. My grin faded.

The flames began to sputter out. Jason cursed and dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Piper raised her dagger—not much, but it was all she had. Coach Hedge hefted his club, and he was the only one who looked excited about dying. I didn't know what else to do, so I notched an arrow, and aimed, but I didn't fire.

Then a ripping sound cut through the wind—like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf—the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow.

More arrows. More wolves fell. The pack broke in confusion. An arrow flashed toward Lycaon, but the wolf king caught it in midair. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered.

"Curse them!" Lycaon yelled. He growled at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, boy. "

* * *

**Hello. I am back.**

** .Weird- Thanks! Yeah, I'm still getting to the bit where she shows her true powers, but it's coming! Is there anything in particular that you want to see?**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	29. Chapter 28

The wolf king disappeared into the night.

Seconds later, I heard more wolves baying, but the sound was different—less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.

Hedge said, "Kill it?"

"No!" Piper said. "Wait. "

The wolves tilted their heads and studied the campers with huge golden eyes.

A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-gray winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.

Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon's hand. I stared in wonder. It was Thalia.

"So close. " She turned to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you. "

The other hunters mumbled agreement and disappeared, heading after Lycaon's pack.

Then Thalia turned toward us, her face still hidden in her parka hood. "We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?" Then she saw me, and she returned my surprised face.

"Alex?!"

"Thalia!"

"Oh my gods, I didn't think I would find you here," she said, after hugging me. Then she scanned our little party.

Jason stood frozen, staring at his sister. I grinned, my ADHD mind already scripting out the perfect brother/sister re-union. I jerked my head in Jason's direction, but she didn't seem to get the hint.

"You're her," Piper guessed. "You're Thalia. "

Thalia tensed. I was afraid she might draw her bow, in a moment of surprise, but instead she pulled down her parka hood. Her hair was spiky black, unruly as always, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it, like it always had, but her face was stooped. She must have been on Lycaon's trail for ages, and her eyes were brilliant blue. Jason could tell she was the girl from the photograph.

"Do I know you?" Thalia asked.

Piper inhaled sharply. "This might be a shock, but—"

"Thalia. " Jason stepped forward, his voice trembling. "I'm Jason, your brother. "

For a minute, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo and I laughed. "Wait, seriously?"

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers —excellent source of iron. "

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish. I rolled my eyes, but my face felt hot, like I was intruding on family matters. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit. "

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if I hadn't caught her.

Thalia rushed over. "What's wrong with her? Ah—never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle. " She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

"And Alex, what about you?"

I looked sheepishly down at the floor. "Y'know, Thalia. I tried my best on her ankle, but it needed time to heal-time which we didn't have, and the Hypothermia, I can't heal something I can't see. So I couldn't do anything about it. Sorry."

Thalia shook her head. "It's not your fault. I should've know, with the time restrictions on Hera's imprisonment and all. But still, _why _did you let this goat become a doctor. Really?" she said exasperatedly.

"You, The other boy and the satyr," Thalia ordered, "take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe's an excellent healer. "

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off. "

But I knew when we weren't wanted. "Come on, Hedge. These two need time to talk. "

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody. "

Hedge carried Piper toward the entrance. We were about to follow when Jason called, "Actually, man, Alex, could you, um, stick around?"

I saw something in Jason's eyes I didn't expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared.

Leo grinned. "Sticking around is my specialty."

I nodded.

Thalia didn't look too happy about it, but the four of us sat at the fire. For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Jason studied his sister like she was a scary device—one that might explode if handled incorrectly. Thalia seemed more at ease, as if she was used to stumbling across stranger things than long-lost relatives. But still she regarded Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler. Leo took a few pieces of copper wire out of his pockets and twisted them together. I pulled an arrow out and started fiddling with the feathers. Getting bored, I pulle dout the entire quiver, and started picking out random arrows. By mistake, I accidentally pulled out one of Apollo's recorded arrows. Suddenly, a burst of awful music played out around the fire.

"I got the-the-the-the

I got the-the-the~

POWER!

_music_

I'm so cool, I'm the coolest God,

So much better

than my little twin Arte-mi~s!

Mother Leto said I'd get a girl at 22!  
I got the girl at 21, ba-boom!

Her name was Daphne, and she was so cool-"

Finnaly, my hand stareted working again, and, face red, I stuffed the arrow back in the quiver. I didn't look back up, until Leo asked me, with a confused face,

"What the hell was that?"

"Apollo's masterpiece," I said wearily, putting air-quotes around the word 'masterpiece'.

There was silence, and then Leo tried to break it.

"So … the Hunters of Artemis. This whole 'not dating' thing—is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?"

Thalia stared at him as if he'd just evolved from pond scum. Leo shrunk back.

Jason kicked him in the shin. "Don't mind Leo. He's just trying to break the ice. But, Thalia … what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?"

Thalia tugged at the silver bracelet on her wrist, Ageis. In the firelight, in her winter camouflage, she almost looked like Khione the snow princess—just as cold and beautiful.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

Jason shook his head. "I woke up three days ago on a bus with Leo and Piper. "

"Which wasn't our fault," Leo added hastily. "Hera stole his memories. "

Thalia tensed. "Hera? How do you know that?"

Jason explained about our quest—the prophecy at camp, Hera getting imprisoned, the giant taking Piper's dad, and the winter solstice deadline. Leo and I chimed in to add the important stuff: how he'd fixed the bronze dragon, could throw fireballs, and made excellent tacos(he really had to get that in), and how me and Piper got us out of Medea's place, how I'd sacrifices my hair.

"I thought your hair looked shorter," Thalia mused.

"'I thought your hair looked shorter'," I mimicked rudely. "That's because it _is _shorter, you dumbass."

Thalia was a good listener. Nothing seemed to surprise her—the monsters, the prophecies, the dead rising. But when we mentioned King Midas, she cursed in Ancient Greek.

"I knew we should've burned down his mansion," she said. "That man's a menace. But we were so intent on following Lycaon—Well, I'm glad you got away. So Hera's been … what, hiding you all these years?"

"I don't know. " Jason brought out the photo from his pocket. "She left me just enough memory to recognize your face. "

Thalia looked at the picture, and her expression softened. "I'd forgotten about that. I left it in Cabin One, didn't I?"

Jason nodded. "I think Hera wanted for us to meet. When we landed here, at this cave … I had a feeling it was important. Like I knew you were close by. Is that crazy?"

"Nah," Leo assured him. "We were absolutely destined to meet your hot sister. "

Thalia ignored him. Probably for good reason.

"Jason," she said, "when you're dealing with the gods, nothing is too crazy. But you can't trust Hera, especially since we're children of Zeus. She hates all children of Zeus. "

"But she said something about Zeus giving her my life as a peace offering. Does that make any sense?"

The color drained from Thalia's face. "Oh, gods. Mother wouldn't have … You don't remember—No, of course you don't. "

"What?" Jason asked.

Thalia's features seemed to grow older in the firelight, like her immortality wasn't working so well. "Jason … I'm not sure how to say this. Our mom wasn't exactly stable. She caught Zeus's eye because she was a television actress, and she was beautiful, but she didn't handle the fame well. She drank, pulled stupid stunts. She was always in the tabloids. She could never get enough attention. Even before you were born, she and I argued all the time. She … she knew Dad was Zeus, and I think that was too much for her to take. It was like the ultimate achievement for her to attract the lord of the sky, and she couldn't accept it when he left. The thing about the gods… well, they don't hang around. "

I remembered my own mom, the way she'd made up all these weird stories when I was younger. We would lie under the hot Australian sun...

* * *

_"So, Honey, what sort of story do you want now?"_

_Four-year-old me giggled, and I shoved my hands into the damp sand of the beach. When the sea came in, I chucked handfuls of sand into it, not caring that flecks of it landed on my heavily freckled nose._

_"Where's Daddy?" I was afraid I'd blown it with the long pause my Mum had, but then she just laughed._

_"Oh, Honey! Who's saying you had a daddy? What's not saying that you were found in an egg I found in the supermarket, and when it hatched, I found my little baby girl?"_

_"I'm not a chicken!" I protested. Even at that young age, that was the one thing I was completely sure of. I was not a chicken._

_"Are you sure? You have flaps coming out of the side of your body..."_

_"They're arms, not wings!" I said, laughing._

_"Plot twist!" my Mum said dramatically. "What if all humans were chickens, and all chickens were humans!"_

_"That's not true!" I said, giggling so hard I was rolling over the sand._

_I was six now. I blew out the candles on my cake, and then my mum started crying._

_"Mummy!" I cried out. "Did you get burnt?"_

_"No, hun. Just...Your father would be proud."_

_"Ha! So I do have a father!" I declared, happy I'd won the argument. "What was he like, what happened to him?"_

_"He was a truly amazing person, Alex, hun, but he-he-died."_

* * *

"Alex. Alex!"

"Huh, what sorry!" I zoned back in again.

I looked around, and noticed Jason's face—looking more and more devastated as Thalia described their mom—and for once, I didn't feel jealous of my friend. I might have lost my mom. I might have had some hard times. But at least I remembered her. I felt bad for Jason, not having memories like that—not having anything to fall back on, but then I slapped myself, almost physically. Jason didn't want our sympathy.

"So …" Jason didn't seem able to finish the question.

"Jason, you got friends," Leo told him. "Now you got a sister. You're not alone. "

Thalia offered her hand, and Jason took it.

"When I was about seven," she said, "Zeus started visiting Mom again. I think he felt bad about wrecking her life, and he seemed—different somehow. A little older and sterner, more fatherly toward me. For a while, Mom improved. She loved having Zeus around, bringing her presents, causing the sky to rumble. She always wanted more attention. That's the year you were born. Mom … well, I never got along with her, but you gave me a reason to hang around. You were so cute. And I didn't trust Mom to look after you. Of course, Zeus eventually stopped coming by again. He probably couldn't stand Mom's demands anymore, always pestering him to let her visit Olympus, or to make her immortal or eternally beautiful. When he left for good, Mom got more and more unstable. That was about the time the monsters started attacking me. Mom blamed Hera. She claimed the goddess was coming after you too—that Hera had barely tolerated my birth, but two demigod children from the same family was too big an insult. Mom even said she hadn't wanted to name you Jason, but Zeus insisted, as a way to appease Hera because the goddess liked that name. I didn't know what to believe. "

Leo fiddled with his copper wires, and I continued to play with my arrows, careful not to pull out the bad ones. I felt like an intruder. I shouldn't be listening to this, but it also made me feel like I was getting to know Jason for the first time—like maybe being here now made up for that time I'd missed out on Leo, Piper and Jason's friendship.

"How did you guys get separated?" Leo asked, bringing us all out of our thoughts.


	30. Chapter 29

Thalia squeezed her brother's hand. "If I'd known you were alive … gods, things would've been so different. But when you were two, Mom packed us in the car for a family vacation. We drove up north, toward the wine country, to this park she wanted to show us. I remember thinking it was strange because Mom never took us anywhere, and she was acting super nervous. I was holding your hand, walking you toward this big building in the middle of the park, and …" She took a shaky breath. "Mom told me to go back to the car and get the picnic basket. I didn't want to leave you alone with her, but it was only for a few minutes. When I came back … Mom was kneeling on the stone steps, hugging herself and crying. She said—she said you were gone. She said Hera claimed you and you were as good as dead. I didn't know what she'd done. I was afraid she'd completely lost her mind. I ran all over the place looking for you, but you'd just vanished. She had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. For the next few days I was hysterical. I don't remember everything, but I called the police on Mom and they questioned her for a long time. Afterward, we fought. She told me I'd betrayed her, that I should support her, like she was the only one who mattered. Finally I couldn't stand it. Your disappearance was the last straw. I ran away from home, and I never went back, not even when Mom died a few years ago. I thought you were gone forever. I never told anyone about you—not even Annabeth or Luke, not even you Alex. It was just too painful. "

I wasn't sure how to react. I felt hurt she'd kept something so important from me, but I understood why.

"Chiron knew. " Jason's voice sounded far away. "When I got to camp, he took one look at me and said, 'You should be dead. '"

"That doesn't make sense," Thalia insisted. "I never told him. "

"Hey," Leo said. "Important thing is you've got each other now, right? You two are lucky. "

Thalia nodded. "Leo's right. Look at you. You're my age. You've grown up. "

"But where have I been?" Jason said. "How could I be missing all that time? And the Roman stuff …"

Thalia frowned. "The Roman stuff?"

"Your brother speaks Latin," I said. "He calls gods by their Roman names, and he's got tattoos."

Leo pointed out the marks on Jason's arm. Then together, we gave Thalia the rundown about the other weird stuff that had happened: Boreas turning into Aquilon, Lycaon calling Jason a "child of Rome," and the wolves backing off when Jason spoke Latin to them.

Thalia plucked her bowstring. "Latin. Zeus sometimes spoke Latin, the second time he stayed with Mom. Like I said, he seemed different, more formal. "

"You think he was in his Roman aspect?" Jason asked. "And that's why I think of myself as a child of Jupiter?"

"Possibly," Thalia said. "I've never heard of something like that happening, but it might explain why you think in Roman terms, why you can speak Latin rather than Ancient Greek. That would make you unique. Still, it doesn't explain how you've survived without Camp Half-Blood. A child of Zeus, or Jupiter, or whatever you want to call him—you would've been hounded by monsters. If you were on your own, you should've died years ago. I know I wouldn't have been able to survive without friends. You would've needed training, a safe haven—"

"He wasn't alone," I blurted out. "We've heard about others like him. "

Thalia looked at me strangely. "What do you mean?"

I told her about the slashed-up purple shirt in Medea's department store, and the story the Cyclopes told about the child of Mercury who spoke Latin.

"Isn't there anywhere else for demigods?" Leo asked. "I mean besides Camp Half-Blood? Maybe some crazy Latin teacher has been abducting children of the gods or something, making them think like Romans. "

As soon as he said it, I gave him a look that made him realized how stupid the idea sounded. Thalia's critical blue eyes studied him intently, making him look like a suspect in a lineup.

"I've been all over the country," Thalia mused. "I've never seen evidence of a crazy Latin teacher, or demigods in purple shirts. Still …" Her voice trailed off, like she'd just had a troubling thought.

"What?" Jason asked.

Thalia shook her head. "I'll have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Artemis will guide us. "

"She's still talking to you?" I asked. "Most of the gods have gone silent. "

"Artemis follows her own rules," Thalia said. "She has to be careful not to let Zeus know, but she thinks Zeus is being ridiculous closing Olympus. She's the one who set us on the trail of Lycaon. She said we'd find a lead to a missing friend of ours. "

"Percy Jackson," Leo guessed. "The guy Annabeth is looking for. "

"It's weird." I admitted.

"What?" Jason asked.

"That me and Thalia know Percy, and he's like a brother to me, yet you and Leo don't have a clue who he is. It's just strange."

Thalia nodded, her face full of concern.

I briefly wondered if anyone had ever looked that worried all the times I disappeared for long times. I kind of doubted it.

"So what would Lycaon have to do with it?" Leo asked. "And how does it connect to us?"

"We need to find out soon," Thalia admitted. "If your deadline is tomorrow, we're wasting time. Aeolus could tell you—"

The white wolf appeared again at the doorway and yipped insistently.

"I have to get moving. " Thalia stood. "Otherwise I'll lose the other Hunters' trail. First, though, I'll take you to Aeolus's palace. "

"If you can't, it's okay," Jason said, though he sounded kind of distressed.

"Oh, please. " Thalia smiled and helped him up. "I haven't had a brother in years. I think I can stand a few minutes with you before you get annoying. Now, let's go!"

* * *

When I saw how well Piper and Hedge were being treated, I was thoroughly offended.

I'd imagined them freezing their hindquarters off in the snow, but the Hunter Phoebe had set up this silver tent pavilion thing right outside the cave. How she'd done it so fast, I had absolutely no idea, but inside was a kerosene heater keeping them toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looked back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and camo pants like a Hunter. She and Hedge and Phoebe were kicking back, drinking hot chocolate.

"Oh, no way," Leo said. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

"I'm with you!"

Phoebe sniffed. "Boys," she said, like it was the worst insult she could think of.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia said. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate. "

Phoebe grumbled, but soon all three of us were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm. The hot chocolate was first-rate.

"Cheers!" said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup.

"That cannot be good for your intestines," I said.

Thalia patted Piper on the back. "You up for moving?"

Piper nodded. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles. "

Thalia winked at Jason. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one. "

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteered. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it. "

Naturally, Thalia ignored him. I gave him a look that was meant to be sympathizing, but it probably said ' You-need-to-try-harder'.

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, which I could not believe. The tent self-collapsed into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum. Leo looked like he wanted to ask her for the blueprints, but we didn't have time.

Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and soon I'm pretty sure Leo was regretting trying to look macho, because the Hunters left us in the dust.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing us on like he used to do on chariot race days at camp. "Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. I've got a girl in Kalamazoo—"

"Let's not," Thalia snapped.

So we ran in silence.

Me and Leo fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. "How you doing, man?"

Jason's expression was enough of an answer: Not good.

"Thalia takes it so calmly," Jason said. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I didn't know what I was expecting, but … she's not like me. She seems so much more together. "

"Hey, she's not fighting amnesia," I said. "Plus, she's had more time to get used to this whole demigod thing. You fight monsters and talk to gods for a while, you probably get used to surprises. "

"Maybe," Jason said. "I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why my mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me. "

"Hey, whatever's happened, it wasn't your fault. And Thalia's really great. Awesome. She's a lot like you. "

Jason took that in silence. I wondered if we'd said the right things. We just wanted to make Jason feel better, but this was way outside his comfort zone.

I just wished that my healing powers could go further than physical wounds. Or even better, if I could just _tell_ Jason his secret past.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't realize the Hunters had stopped. I slammed into Leo, who had slammed into Thalia, and I nearly sent all three of us down the side of the mountain the hard way. Fortunately, the Hunter was light on her feet. She steadied us, then pointed up.

"That," Leo choked, "is a really large rock. "

We stood near the summit of Pikes Peak. Below them the world was blanketed in clouds. The air was so thin, I could hardly breathe. Our breaths were becoming short and raspy. Night had set in, but a full moon shone and the stars were incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rose from the clouds like islands—or teeth.

But the real show was above us. Hovering in the sky, about a quarter mile away, was a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. It was hard to judge its size, but I figured it was at least as wide as a football stadium and just as tall. The sides were rugged cliffs, riddled with caves, and every once in a while a gust of wind burst out with a sound like a pipe organ blast. At the top of the rock, brass walls ringed some kind of a fortress.

The only thing connecting Pikes Peak to the floating island was a narrow bridge of ice that glistened in the moonlight.

Then I realized the bridge wasn't exactly ice, because it wasn't solid. As the winds changed direction, the bridge snaked around—blurring and thinning, in some places even breaking into a dotted line like the vapor trail of a plane.

* * *

**And this chapter is finished! Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but this is December Control assessment time. If you don't live in England, it's basically exams-that-are-not-official-exams. I still have some left, but they're more spaced out, so my updating won't be back up to normal, but it will improve.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	31. Chapter 30

"We're not seriously crossing that," Leo and I said at the same time.

Thalia shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of heights, I'll admit. But if you want to get to Aeolus's fortress, this is the only way. "

"Is the fortress always hanging there?" Piper asked. "How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?"

"The Mist," Thalia said. "Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a trick of the light, but actually it's the color of Aeolus's palace, reflecting off the mountain face. "

"It's enormous," Jason said.

Thalia laughed. "You should see Olympus, little brother. "

"You're serious? You've been there?"

Thalia grimaced, and I could tell why. It wasn't a good memory. "We should go across in two different groups. The bridge is fragile. "

"That's reassuring," Leo said. "Jason, can't you just fly us up there?"

Thalia laughed. Then she seemed to realize Leo's question wasn't a joke. "Wait … Jason, you can fly?"

Jason gazed up at the floating fortress. "Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I'd want to try. Thalia, you mean … you can't fly?"

For a second, Thalia looked genuinely afraid. Then she got her expression under control. I realized she was a lot more scared of heights than she was letting on.

"Truthfully," she said, "I've never tried. Might be better if we stuck to the bridge. "

Coach Hedge tapped the ice vapor trail with his hoof, then jumped onto the bridge. Amazingly, it held his weight. "Easy! I'll go first. Piper, come on, girl. I'll give you a hand. "

"No, that's okay," Piper started to say, but the coach grabbed her hand and dragged her up the bridge.

When they were about halfway, the bridge still seemed to be holding them just fine.

Thalia turned to her Hunter friend. "Phoebe, I'll be back soon. Go find the others. Tell them I'm on my way. "

"You sure?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at Leo, Jason and me, like we might kidnap Thalia or something.

"It's fine," Thalia promised.

Phoebe nodded reluctantly, then raced down the mountain path, the white wolves at her heels.

"Jason, Leo, Alex, just be careful where you step," Thalia said. "It hardly ever breaks. "

"It hasn't met me yet," Leo muttered, but us two and Jason led the way up the bridge.

Halfway up, things went wrong, and of course it was our fault. Piper and Hedge had already made it safely to the top and were waving at us, encouraging us to keep climbing, but we got distracted. Me and Leo were talking about bridges—how we would design something way more stable than this shifting ice vapor business if this were our palace. We were pondering braces and support columns. Then a sudden revelation stopped us in our tracks.

"Why do they have a bridge?" he asked.

Thalia frowned. "Leo, this isn't a good place to stop. What do you mean?"

"They're wind spirits," Leo said. "Can't they fly?"

"Yes, but sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below. "

"So the bridge isn't always here?" Leo asked.

Thalia shook her head. "The wind spirits don't like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it's necessary. Like now. They know you're coming. "

* * *

_(Leo)_

Leo's mind was racing. He was so excited he could almost feel his body's temperature rising. He couldn't quite put his thoughts into words, but he knew he was on to something important.

"Leo?" Jason said. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, gods," Thalia said. "Keep moving. Look at your feet. "

Leo shuffled backward. With horror, he realized his body temperature really was rising, just as it had years ago at that picnic table under the pecan tree, when his anger had gotten away from him. Now, excitement was causing the reaction. His pants steamed in the cold air. His shoes were literally smoking, and the bridge didn't like it. The ice was thinning.

"Leo, stop it," Jason warned. "You're going to melt it. "

"I'll try," Leo said. But his body was overheating on its own, running as fast as his thoughts. "Listen, Jason, what did Hera call you in that dream? She called you a bridge. "

"Leo, seriously, cool down," Thalia said. "I don't what you're talking about, but the bridge is—"

"Just listen," Leo insisted. "If Jason is a bridge, what's he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don't get along—like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange. "

"An exchange. " Thalia's eyes widened. "Oh, gods. "

Jason frowned. "What are you two talking about?"

Thalia murmured something like a prayer. "I understand now why Artemis sent me here. Jason—she told me to hunt for Lycaon and I would find a clue about Percy. You are the clue. Artemis wanted us to meet so I could hear your story. "

"I don't understand," he protested. "I don't have a story. I don't remember anything. "

"But Leo's right," Thalia said. "It's all connected. If we just knew where—"

Leo snapped his fingers. "Jason, what did you call that place in your dream? That ruined house. The Wolf House?"

Thalia nearly choked. "The Wolf House? Jason, why didn't you tell me that! That's where they're keeping Hera?"

"You know where it is?" Jason asked.

Then the bridge dissolved. Leo would've fallen to his death, but Jason grabbed his coat and pulled him to safety. The two of them scrambled up the bridge, and when they turned, Thalia was on the other side of a thirty-foot chasm. The bridge was continuing to melt.

"Go!" Thalia shouted, backing down the bridge as it crumbled. "Find out where the giant is keeping Piper's dad. Save him! I'll take the Hunters to the Wolf House and hold it until you can get there. We can do both!"

"But where is the Wolf House?" Jason shouted.

"You know where it is, little brother!" She was so far away now that they could barely hear her voice over the wind. Leo was pretty sure she said: "I'll see you there. I promise. "

Then she turned and raced down the dissolving bridge.

Leo and Jason had no time to stand around. They climbed for their lives, the ice vapor thinning under their feet. Several times, Jason grabbed Leo and used the winds to keep them aloft, but it was more like bungee jumping than flying.

When they reached the floating island, Piper and Coach Hedge pulled them aboard just as the last of the vapor bridge vanished. They stood gasping for breath at the base of a stone stairway chiseled into the side of the cliff, leading up to the fortress.

Leo looked back down. The top of Pikes Peak floated below them in a sea of clouds, but there was no sign of Thalia. And Leo had just burned their only exit.

"What happened?" Piper demanded. "Leo, why are your clothes smoking?"

"I got a little heated," he gasped. "Sorry, Jason. Honest. I didn't—"

"It's all right," Jason said, but his expression was grim. "We've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper's dad. Let's go see the king of the winds. "

* * *

_(Jason)_

Jason had found his sister and lost her in less than an hour. As they climbed the cliffs of the floating island, he kept looking back, but Thalia was gone.

Despite what she'd said about meeting him again, Jason wondered. She'd found a new family with the Hunters, and a new mother in Artemis. She seemed so confident and comfortable with her life, Jason wasn't sure if he'd ever be part of it. And she seemed so set on finding her friend Percy. Had she ever searched for Jason that way?

Not fair, he told himself. She thought you were dead.

He could barely tolerate what she'd said about their mom. It was almost like Thalia had handed him a baby—a really loud, ugly baby—and said, Here, this is yours. Carry it. He didn't want to carry it. He didn't want to look at it or claim it. He didn't want to know that he had an unstable mother who'd gotten rid of him to appease a goddess. No wonder Thalia had run away.

Then he remembered the Zeus cabin at Camp Half-Blood—that tiny little alcove Thalia had used as a bunk, out of sight from the glowering statue of the sky god. Their dad wasn't much of a bargain, either. Jason understood why Thalia had renounced that part of her life too, but he was still resentful. He couldn't be so lucky. He was left holding the bag —literally.

The golden backpack of winds was strapped over his shoulders. The closer they got to Aeolus's palace, the heavier the bag got. The winds struggled, rumbling and bumping around.

The only one who seemed in a good mood was Coach Hedge. He kept bounding up the slippery staircase and trotting back down. "Come on, cupcakes! Only a few thousand more steps!"

As they climbed, Leo and Piper left Jason in his silence. Maybe they could sense his bad mood. Piper kept glancing back, worried, as if he were the one who'd almost died of hypothermia rather than she. Or maybe she was thinking about Thalia's idea. They'd told her what Thalia had said on the bridge—how they could save both her dad and Hera—but Jason didn't really understand how they were going to do that, and he wasn't sure if the possibility had made Piper more hopeful or just more anxious.

Leo kept swatting his own legs, checking for signs that his pants were on fire. He wasn't steaming anymore, but the incident on the ice bridge had really freaked Jason out. Leo hadn't seemed to realize that he had smoke coming out his ears and flames dancing through his hair. If Leo started spontaneously combusting every time he got excited, they were going to have a tough time taking him anywhere. Jason imagined trying to get food at a restaurant. I'll have a cheeseburger and—Ahhh! My friend's on fire! Get me a bucket!

Mostly, though, Jason worried about what Leo had said. Jason didn't want to be a bridge, or an exchange, or anything else. He just wanted to know where he'd come from. And Thalia had looked so unnerved when Leo mentioned the burned-out house in his dreams—the place the wolf Lupa had told him was his starting point. How did Thalia know that place, and why did she assume Jason could find it?

The answer seemed close. But the nearer Jason got to it, the less it cooperated, like the winds on his back.

Finally they arrived at the top of the island. Bronze walls marched all the way around the fortress grounds, though Jason couldn't imagine who would possibly attack this place. Twenty-foot-high gates opened for them, and a road of polished purple stone led up to the main citadel—a white-columned rotunda, Greek style, like one of the monuments in Washington, D. C. —except for the cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers on the roof.

* * *

**Yessss! Chapter 30! Also I'm trying to experiment with different Pov's now, so we'll see how that goes.**

**Once again, thank you for sticking with me to chapter 30! I can't believe it!**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	32. Chapter 31

_(Alex)_

"That's bizarre," Piper said.

"Guess you can't get cable on a floating island," Leo said. "Dang, check this guy's front yard. "

The rotunda sat in the center of a quarter-mile circle. The grounds were amazing in a scary way. They were divided into four sections like big pizza slices, each one representing a season.

The section on their right was an icy waste, with bare trees and a frozen lake. Snowmen rolled across the landscape as the wind blew, so I wasn't sure if they were decorations or alive.

To their left was an autumn park with gold and red trees. Mounds of leaves blew into patterns—gods, people, animals that ran after each other before scattering back into leaves.

In the distance, I could see two more areas behind the rotunda. One looked like a green pasture with sheep made out of clouds. The last section was a desert where tumbleweeds scratched strange patterns in the sand like Greek letters, smiley faces, and a huge advertisement that read: watch aeolus nightly!

"One section for each of the four wind gods," Jason guessed. "Four cardinal directions. "

"I'm loving that pasture. " Coach Hedge licked his lips. "You guys mind—"

"Go ahead," Jason said. I was actually relieved he had sent the satyr off. It would be hard enough getting on Aeolus's good side without Coach Hedge waving his club and screaming, "Die!"

While the satyr ran off to attack springtime, the rest of us walked down the road to the steps of the palace. We passed through the front doors into a white marble foyer decorated with purple banners that read Olympian weather channel, and some that just read OW!

"Hello!" A woman floated up to us. Literally floated. She was pretty in that elfish way I associated with nature spirits at Camp Half-Blood—petite, slightly pointy ears, and an ageless face that could've been sixteen or thirty. Her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully. Even though there was no wind, her dark hair blew in slow motion, shampoo-commercial style. Her white gown billowed around her like parachute material. I couldn't tell if she had feet, but if so, they didn't touch the floor. She had a white tablet computer in her hand.

"Are you from Lord Zeus?" she asked. "We've been expecting you. "

I tried to respond, but it was a little hard to think straight, because I'd realized the woman was see-through. Her shape faded in and out like she was made of fog.

"Are you a ghost?" Jason asked, voicing my thoughts exactly.

Right away I knew he'd insulted her. The smile turned into a pout.

"I'm an aura, sir. A wind nymph, as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don't have ghosts. "

Piper came to the rescue. "No, of course you don't! My friend simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of all time. It's an easy mistake. "

Wow, she was good. The compliment seemed a little over the top, but Mellie the aura blushed. "Oh … well, then. So you are from Zeus?"

"Er," Jason said, "I'm the son of Zeus, yeah. "

"Excellent! Please, right this way. " She led us through some security doors into another lobby, consulting her tablet as she floated. She didn't look where she was going, but apparently it didn't matter as she drifted straight through a marble column with no problem. "We're out of prime time now, so that's good," she mused. "I can fit you in right before his 11:12 spot. "

"Um, okay," Jason said.

The lobby was a pretty distracting place. Winds blasted around us, so I felt like I was pushing through an invisible crowd. Doors blew open and slammed by themselves.

The things I could _see_ were just as bizarre. Paper airplanes of all different sizes and shapes sped around, and other wind nymphs, aurai, would occasionally pluck them out of the air, unfold and read them, then toss them back into the air, where the planes would refold themselves and keep flying.

An ugly creature fluttered past. She looked like a mix between an old lady and a chicken on steroids. She had a wrinkled face with black hair tied in a hairnet, arms like a human plus wings like a chicken, and a fat, feathered body with talons for feet. It was amazing she could fly at all. She kept drifting around and bumping into things like a parade balloon.

"Not an aura?" Jason asked Mellie as the creature wobbled by.

Mellie laughed. "That's a harpy, of course. Our, ah, ugly stepsisters, I suppose you would say. Don't you have harpies on Olympus? They're spirits of violent gusts, unlike us aurai. We're all gentle breezes. "

She batted her eyes at Jason.

"'Course you are," he said.

"So," Piper prompted, "you were taking us to see Aeolus?"

Mellie led them through a set of doors like an airlock. Above the interior door, a green light blinked.

"We have a few minutes before he starts," Mellie said cheerfully. "He probably won't kill you if we go in now. Come along!"

* * *

My jaw dropped. The central section of Aeolus's fortress was as big as a cathedral, with a soaring domed roof covered in silver. Television equipment floated randomly through the air—cameras, spotlights, set pieces, potted plants. And there was no floor. Leo almost fell into the chasm before Jason and I pulled him back, one hand on each arm.

"Holy—!" Leo gulped. "Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time!"

An enormous circular pit plunged into the heart of the mountain. It was probably half a mile deep, honeycombed with caves. Some of the tunnels probably led straight outside. I remembered seeing winds blast out of them when we'd been on Pikes Peak. Other caves were sealed with some glistening material like glass or wax. The whole cavern bustled with harpies, aurai, and paper airplanes, but for someone who couldn't fly, it would be a very long, very fatal fall.

"Oh, my," Mellie gasped. "I'm so sorry. " She unclipped a walkie-talkie from somewhere inside her robes and spoke into it: "Hello, sets? Is that Nuggets? Hi, Nuggets. Could we get a floor in the main studio, please? Yes, a solid one. Thanks. "

A few seconds later, an army of harpies rose from the pit—three dozen or so demon chicken ladies, all carrying squares of various building material. They went to work hammering and gluing—and using large quantities of duct tape, which didn't reassure me. In no time there was a makeshift floor snaking out over the chasm. It was made of plywood, marble blocks, carpet squares, wedges of grass sod—just about anything.

"That can't be safe," Jason said.

"Oh, it is!" Mellie assured him. "The harpies are very good. "

Easy for her to say. She just drifted across without touching the floor, but Jason stepped out first. Probably because he could fly. Blonde superman. Amazingly, the floor held.

Piper gripped his hand and followed him. "If I fall, you're catching me. "

"Uh, sure. " Jason hoped he wasn't blushing.

Leo stepped out next. "You're catching me, too, Superman. But I ain't holding your hand. "

I came out last. "I can hold onto a rope, I'm not too picky."

Mellie led us toward the middle of the chamber, where a loose sphere of flat-panel video screens floated around a kind of control center. A man hovered inside, checking monitors and reading paper airplane messages.

The man paid us no attention as Mellie brought us forward. She pushed a forty-two-inch Sony out of their way and led us into the control area.

Leo whistled. "I got to get a room like this. "

The floating screens showed all sorts of television programs. Some I recognized—news broadcasts, mostly—but some programs looked a little strange: gladiators fighting, demigods battling monsters. Maybe they were movies, but they looked more like reality shows.

At the far end of the sphere was a silky blue backdrop like a cinema screen, with cameras and studio lights floating around it.

The man in the center was talking into an earpiece phone. He had a remote control in each hand and was pointing them at various screens, seemingly at random.

He wore a business suit that looked like the sky—blue mostly, but dappled with clouds that changed and darkened and moved across the fabric. He looked like he was in his sixties, with a shock of white hair, but he had a ton of stage makeup on, and that smooth plastic-surgery look to his face, so he appeared not really young, not really old, just wrong—like a Ken doll someone had halfway melted in a microwave. His eyes darted back and forth from screen to screen, like he was trying to absorb everything at once. He muttered things into his phone, and his mouth kept twitching. He was either amused, or crazy, or both.

Mellie floated toward him. "Ah, sir, Mr. Aeolus, these demigods—"

"Hold it!" He held up a hand to silence her, then pointed at one of the screens. "Watch!"

It was one of those storm-chaser programs, where insane thrill-seekers drive after tornados. As I watched, a Jeep plowed straight into a funnel cloud and got tossed into the sky.

Aeolus shrieked with delight. "The Disaster Channel. People do that on purpose!" He turned toward me with a mad grin. "Isn't that amazing? Let's watch it again. "

"Um, sir," Mellie said, "this is Jason, son of—"

"Yes, yes, I remember," Aeolus said. "You're back. How did it go?"

Jason hesitated. "Sorry? I think you've mistaken me—"

"No, no, Jason Grace, aren't you? It was—what—last year? You were on your way to fight a sea monster, I believe. "

"I—I don't remember. "

Aelous laughed. "Must not have been a very good sea monster! No, I remember every hero who's ever come to me for aid. Odysseus—gods, he docked at my island for a month! At least you only stayed a few days. Now, watch this video. These ducks get sucked straight into—"

"Sir," Mellie interrupted. "Two minutes to air. "

"Air!" Aeolus exclaimed. "I love air. How do I look? Makeup!"

Immediately a small tornado of brushes, blotters, and cotton balls descended on Aeolus. They blurred across his face in a cloud of flesh-tone smoke until his coloration was even more gruesome than before. Wind swirled through his hair and left it sticking up like a frosted Christmas tree.

"Mr. Aeolus. " Jason slipped off the golden backpack. "We brought you these rogue storm spirits. "

"Did you!" Aeolus looked at the bag like it was a gift from a fan—something he really didn't want. "Well, how nice. "

I nudged him, and Jason offered the bag. "Boreas sent us to capture them for you. We hope you'll accept them and stop—you know—ordering demigods to be killed. "

Aeolus laughed, and looked incredulously at Mellie. "Demigods be killed—did I order that?"

Mellie checked her computer tablet. "Yes, sir, fifteenth of September. 'Storm spirits released by the death of Typhon, demigods to be held responsible,' etc… yes, a general order for them all to be killed. "

* * *

**I'm doing this when I'm meant to be revising for a test, which means I'm going to fail.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	33. Chapter 32

"Oh, pish," Aeolus said. "I was just grumpy. Rescind that order, Mellie, and um, who's on guard duty—Teriyaki?—Teri, take these storm spirits down to cell block Fourteen E, will you?"

A harpy swooped out of nowhere, snatched the golden bag, and spiraled into the abyss.

Aeolus grinned at Jason. "Now, sorry about that kill-on-sight business. But gods, I really was mad, wasn't I?" His face suddenly darkened, and his suit did the same, the lapels flashing with lightning. "You know … I remember now. Almost seemed like a voice was telling me to give that order. A little cold tingle on the back of my neck. "

I tensed. A cold tingle on the back of his neck … Why did that sound so familiar? "A … um, voice in your head, sir?"

"Yes. How odd. Mellie, should we kill them?"

"No, sir," she said patiently. "They just brought us the storm spirits, which makes everything all right. "

"Of course. " Aeolus laughed. "Sorry. Mellie, let's send the demigods something nice. A box of chocolates, perhaps. "

"A box of chocolates to every demigod in the world, sir?"

"No, too expensive. Never mind. Wait, it's time! I'm on!"

Aeolus flew off toward the blue screen as newscast music started to play.

I looked at Piper, Jason and Leo, who seemed just as confused as I was.

"Mellie," I said, "is he … always like that?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know what they say. If you don't like his mood, wait five minutes. That expression 'whichever way the wind blows'—that was based on him. "

"And that thing about the sea monster," Jason continued. "Was I here before?"

Mellie blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't remember. I'm Mr. Aeolus's new assistant. I've been with him longer than most, but still—not that long. "

"How long do his assistants usually last?" Piper asked.

"Oh …" Mellie thought for a moment. "I've been doing this for … twelve hours?"

A voice blared from floating speakers: "And now, weather every twelve minutes! Here's your forecaster for Olympian Weather—the OW! channel—Aeolus!"

Lights blazed on Aeolus, who was now standing in front of the blue screen. His smile was unnaturally white, and he looked like he'd had so much caffeine his face was about to explode.

"Hello, Olympus! Aeolus, master of the winds here, with weather every twelve! We'll have a low-pressure system moving over Florida today, so expect milder temperatures since Demeter wishes to spare the citrus farmers!" He gestured at the blue screen, but when I checked the monitors, I saw that a digital image was being projected behind Aeolus, so it looked like he was standing in front of a U. S. map with animated smiley suns and frowny storm clouds. "Along the eastern seaboard—oh, hold on. " He tapped his earpiece. "Sorry, folks! Poseidon is angry with Miami today, so it looks like that Florida freeze is back on! Sorry, Demeter. Over in the Midwest, I'm not sure what St. Louis did to offend Zeus, but you can expect winter storms! Boreas himself is being called down to punish the area with ice. Bad news, Missouri! No, wait. Hephaestus feels sorry for central Missouri, so you all will have much more moderate temperatures and sunny skies. "

Aeolus kept going like that—forecasting each area of the country and changing his prediction two or three times as he got messages over his earpiece—the gods apparently putting in orders for various winds and weather.

"This can't be right," Jason whispered. "Weather isn't this random. "

Mellie smirked. "And how often are the mortal weathermen right? They talk about fronts and air pressure and moisture, but the weather surprises them all the time. At least Aeolus tells us why it's so unpredictable. Very hard job, trying to appease all the gods at once. It's enough to drive anyone …"

She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. We all did. Mad. Aeolus was completely mad.

"And that's the weather," Aeolus concluded. "See you in twelve minutes, because I'm sure it'll change!"

The lights shut off, the video monitors went back to random coverage, and just for a moment, Aeolus's face sagged with weariness. Then he seemed to remember he had guests, and he put a smile back on.

"So, you brought me some rogue storm spirits," Aeolus said. "I suppose … thanks! And did you want something else? I assume so. Demigods always do. "

Mellie said, "Um, sir, this is Zeus's son. "

"Yes, yes. I know that. I said I remembered him from before. "

"But, sir, they're here from Olympus. "

Aeolus looked stunned. Then he laughed so abruptly, I almost jumped into the chasm, before I remembered it wasn't there.

"You mean you're here on behalf of your father this time? Finally! I knew they would send someone to renegotiate my contract!"

"Um, what?" Jason asked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Aeolus sighed with relief. "It's been what, three thousand years since Zeus made me master of the winds. Not that I'm ungrateful, of course! But really, my contract is so vague. Obviously I'm immortal, but 'master of the winds. ' What does that mean? Am I a nature spirit? A demigod? A god? I want to be god of the winds, because the benefits are so much better. Can we start with that?"

Jason looked at us, mystified.

"Dude," Leo said, "you think we're here to promote you?"

"You are, then?" Aeolus grinned. His business suit turned completely blue—not a cloud in the fabric. "Marvelous! I mean, I think I've shown quite a bit of initiative with the weather channel, eh? And of course I'm in the press all the time. So many books have been written about me: Into Thin Air, Up in the Air, Gone with the Wind—"

"Er, I don't think those are about you," I said, before I noticed Mellie shaking her head.

"Nonsense," Aeolus said. "Mellie, they're biographies of me, aren't they?"

"Absolutely, sir," she squeaked.

"There, you see? I don't read. Who has time? But obviously the mortals love me. So, we'll change my official title to god of the winds. Then, about salary and staff—"

"Sir," Jason said, "we're not from Olympus. "

Aeolus blinked. "But—"

"I'm the son of Zeus, yes," Jason said, "but we're not here to negotiate your contract. We're on a quest and we need your help. "

Aeolus's expression hardened. "Like last time? Like every hero who comes here? Demigods! It's always about you, isn't it?"

"Sir, please, I don't remember last time, but if you helped me once before—"

"I'm always helping! Well, sometimes I'm destroying, but mostly I'm helping, and sometimes I'm asked to do both at the same time! Why, Aeneas, the first of your kind—"

"My kind?" Jason asked. "You mean, demigods?"

"Oh, please!" Aeolus said. "I mean your line of demigods. You know, Aeneas, son of Venus—the only surviving hero of Troy. When the Greeks burned down his city, he escaped to Italy, where he founded the kingdom that would eventually become Rome, blah, blah, blah. That's what I meant. "

"I don't get it," Jason admitted.

Aeolus rolled his eyes. "The point being, I was thrown in the middle of that conflict, too! Juno calls up: 'Oh, Aeolus, destroy Aeneas's ships for me. I don't like him. ' Then Neptune says, 'No, you don't! That's my territory. Calm the winds. ' Then Juno is like, 'No, wreck his ships, or I'll tell Jupiter you're uncooperative!' Do you think it's easy juggling requests like that?"

"No," Jason said. "I guess not. "

"And don't get me started on Amelia Earhart! I'm still getting angry calls from Olympus about knocking her out of the sky!"

"We just want information," Piper said in her most calming voice. "We hear you know everything. "

Aeolus straightened his lapels and looked slightly mollified. "Well … that's true, of course. For instance, I know that this business here"—he waggled his fingers at the three of them—"this harebrained scheme of Juno's to bring you all together is likely to end in bloodshed. As for you, Piper McLean, I know your father is in serious trouble. " He held out his hand, and a scrap of paper fluttered into his grasp. It was a photo of Piper with a guy who must've been her dad. His face did look familiar. I was pretty sure he'd seen him in some movies.

Piper took the photo. Her hands were shaking. "This—this is from his wallet. "

"Yes," Aeolus said. "All things lost in the wind eventually come to me. The photo blew away when the Earthborn captured him. "

"The what?" Piper asked.

Aeolus waved aside the question and narrowed his eyes at Leo. "Now, you, son of Hephaestus … yes, I see your future. " Another paper fell into the wind god's hands—an old tattered drawing done in crayons.

Leo took it as if it might be coated in poison. He staggered backward.

"Leo?" Jason said. "What is it?"

"Something I—I drew when I was a kid. " He folded it quickly and put it in his coat. "It's … yeah, it's nothing. "

Aeolus laughed. "Really? Just the key to your success! And you, child of Apollo, I believe that this was your mother's."

My voice caught in my throat. I caught the ring, feverishly as Aeolus threw it to me. I studied the silver, engraved with my mum's initials. JM. Jessica Maxwell.

"The ring..." I said quietly. "B-but this blew away in the storm that hit Canberra City, in Austrailia! How did this come here?"

Aeolus chuckled. "As I said, all things lost in the wind come to me eventually. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, you wanted information. Are you sure about that? Sometimes information can be dangerous. "

He smiled at Jason like he was issuing a challenge. Behind him, Mellie shook her head in warning.

"Yeah," Jason said. "We need to find the lair of Enceladus. "

Aeolus's smile melted. "The giant? Why would you want to go there? He's horrible! He doesn't even watch my program!"

Piper held up the photo. "Aeolus, he's got my father. We need to rescue him and find out where Hera is being held captive."

"Now, that's impossible," Aeolus said. "Even I can't see that, and believe me, I've tried. There's a veil of magic over Hera's location—very strong, impossible to locate. "

"She's at a place called the Wolf House," Jason said.

"Hold on!" Aelous put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I'm getting something! Yes, she's at a place called the Wolf House! Sadly, I don't know where that is. "

"Enceladus does," Piper persisted. "If you help us find him, we could get the location of the goddess—"

"Yeah," Leo said, catching on. "And if we save her, she'd be really grateful to you—"

"And Zeus might promote you," I finished.

Aeolus's eyebrows crept up. "A promotion—and all you want from me is the giant's location?"


	34. Chapter 33

"Well, if you could get us there, too," Jason amended, "that would be great. "

Mellie clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds—"

"Mellie, quiet!" Aeolus snapped. "I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretenses. "

Her face paled. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. "

"It wasn't her fault," Jason said. "But about that help …"

Aelous tilted his head as if thinking. Then I realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece.

"Well … Zeus approves," Aeolus muttered. "He says … he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend, because he has a big party planned—Ow! That's Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. And Hephaestus… yes. Hmm. Oooh, Apollo says...ah. Very rare those three agree on anything. Hold on …"

Jason smiled at us. Finally, we were having some good luck. Our godly parents were standing up for us.

Back toward the entrance, I heard a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddled in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie saw him coming across the makeshift floor and caught her breath. "Who is that?"

I stifled a cough. "That? That's just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He's our …" I wasn't sure what to call him: teacher, friend, problem?

"Our guide. "

"He's so goatly," Mellie murmured.

Behind her, Piper poofed out her cheeks, pretending to vomit.

"What's up, guys?" Hedge trotted over. "Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares. "

"Coach, you just ate," Jason said. "And we're using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie—"

"An aura. " Hedge smiled winningly. "Beautiful as a summer breeze. "

Mellie blushed.

"And Aeolus here was just about to help us," Jason said.

"Yes," the wind lord muttered. "It seems so. You'll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo. "

"Devil Mountain?" Leo asked. "That doesn't sound good. "

"I remember that place!" Piper said. "I went there once with my dad. It's just east of San Francisco Bay. "

"The Bay Area again?" The coach shook his head. "Not good. Not good at all. "

"Now …" Aeolus began to smile. "As to getting you there—"

Suddenly his face went slack. He bent over and tapped his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes were wild. Despite the makeup, he looked like an old man—an old, very frightened man. "She hasn't spoke to me for centuries. I can't—yes, yes I understand. "

He swallowed, regarding Jason as if he had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. "I'm sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die. "

Mellie squeaked. "But—but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Aphrodite, Hephaestus—"

"Mellie!" Aeolus snapped. "Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature. "

"Whose orders?" Jason said. "Zeus will fire you if you don't help us!"

"I doubt it. " Aeolus flicked his wrist, and far below them, a cell door opened in the pit. I could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiraling up toward them, howling for blood.

"Even Zeus understands the order of things," Aeolus said. "And if she is waking—by all the gods—she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to make this quick. I'm back on the air in four minutes. "

Jason summoned his sword. I pulled out my quiver. Coach Hedge pulled out his club. Mellie the aura yelled, "No!"

She dived at our feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should've been lethal projectiles, had Mellie's robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The six of us fell into the pit, and Aeolus screamed above them, "Mellie, you are so fired!"

"Quick," Mellie yelled. "Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?"

"A little!"

"Then help me, or you're all dead!" Mellie grabbed Jason's hand, and mine with her other. An electric charge went through my arm. I understood what she needed. We had to control their fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits were following us down, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel.

Jason grabbed Piper's hand, and I grabbed Leo's. "Group hug!"

Hedge, Leo, and Piper tried to huddle together, hanging on to Jason, me and Mellie as they fell.

"This is NOT GOOD!" Leo yelled.

"Bring it on, gas bags!" Hedge yelled up at the storm spirits. "I'll pulverize you!"

"He's magnificent," Mellie sighed.

"Concentrate?" Jason prompted.

"Right!" she said.

Jason channeled the wind so our fall became more of a tumble into the nearest open chute. Still, we slammed into the tunnel at painful speed and went rolling over each other down a steep vent that was not designed for people. There was no way we could stop.

Mellie's robes billowed around her. All of us clung to her desperately, and we began to slow down, but the storm spirits were screaming into the tunnel behind us.

"Can't—hold—long," Mellie warned. "Stay together! When the winds hit—"

"You're doing great, Mellie," Hedge said. "My own mama was an aura, you know. She couldn't have done better herself. "

"Iris-message me?" Mellie pleaded.

Hedge winked.

"Could you guys plan your date later?" I screamed. "Look!"

Behind us, the tunnel was turning dark. I could feel his ears pop as the pressure built.

"Can't hold them," Mellie warned. "But I'll try to shield you, do you one more favor. "

"Thanks, Mellie," Jason said. "I hope you get a new job. "

She smiled, and then dissolved, wrapping us in a warm gentle breeze. Then the real winds hit, shooting us into the sky so fast, I blacked out.

* * *

_Riding Arion, Hazel felt powerful, unstoppable, absolutely in control — a perfect combination of horse and human. She wondered if this was what it was like to be a centaur. The boat captains in Seward had warned her it was three hundred nautical miles to the Hubbard Glacier, a hard, dangerous journey, but Arion had no trouble. He raced over the water at the speed of sound, heating the air around them so that Hazel didn't even feel the cold. On foot, she never would have felt so brave. On horseback, she couldn't wait to charge into battle. Frank and Percy didn't look so happy. When Hazel glanced back, their teeth were clenched and their eyeballs were bouncing around in their heads. Frank's cheeks jiggled from the g-force. Percy sat in back, hanging on tight, desperately trying not to slip off the horse's rear. Hazel hoped that didn't happen. The way Arion was moving, she might not notice he was gone for fifty or sixty miles. They raced through icy straits, past blue fjords and cliffs with waterfalls spilling into the sea. Arion jumped over a breaching humpback whale and kept galloping, startling a pack of seals off an iceberg. It seemed like only minutes before they zipped into a narrow bay. The water turned the consistency of shaved ice in blue sticky syrup. Arion came to a halt on a frozen turquoise slab. A half a mile away stood Hubbard Glacier. Even Hazel, who'd seen glaciers before, couldn't quite process what she was looking at. Purple snowcapped mountains marched off in either direction, with clouds floating around their middles like fluffy belts. In a massive valley between two of the largest peaks, a ragged wall of ice rose out of the sea, filling the entire gorge. The glacier was blue and white with streaks of black, so that it looked like a hedge of dirty snow left behind on a sidewalk after a snowplow had gone by, only four million times as large. As soon as Arion stopped, Hazel felt the temperature drop. All that ice was sending off waves of cold, turning the bay into the world's largest refrigerator. The eeriest thing was a sound like thunder that rolled across the water. "What is that?" Frank gazed at the clouds above the glacier. "A storm?" "No," Hazel said. "Ice cracking and shifting. Millions of tons of ice." "You mean that thing is breaking up?" Frank asked. As if on cue, a sheet of ice silently calved off the side of the glacier and crashed into the sea, spraying water and frozen shrapnel several stories high. A millisecond later the sound hit them — a BOOM almost as jarring as Arion hitting the sound barrier. "We can't get close to that thing!" Frank said. "We have to," Percy said. "The giant is at the top." Arion nickered. "Jeez, Hazel," Percy said, "tell your horse to watch his language." Hazel tried not to laugh. "What did he say?" "With the cussing removed? He said he can get us to the top." Frank looked incredulous. "I thought the horse couldn't fly!" This time Arion whinnied so angrily, even Hazel could guess he was cursing. "Dude," Percy told the horse, "I've gotten suspended for saying less than that. Hazel, he promises you'll see what he can do as soon as you give the word." "Urn, hold on, then, you guys," Hazel said nervously. "Arion, giddyup!" Arion shot toward the glacier like a runaway rocket, barreling straight across the slush like he wanted to play chicken with the mountain of ice. The air grew colder. The crackling of the ice grew louder. As Arion closed the distance, the glacier loomed so large, Hazel got vertigo just trying to take it all in. The side was riddled with crevices and caves, spiked with jagged ridges like ax blades. Pieces were constantly crumbling off — some no larger than snowballs, some the size of houses. When they were about fifty yards from the base, a thunderclap rattled Hazel's bones, and a curtain of ice that would have covered Camp Jupiter calved away and fell toward them. "Look out!" Frank shouted, which seemed a little unnecessary to Hazel. Arion was way ahead of him. In a burst of speed, he zigzagged through the debris, leaping over chunks of ice and clambering up the face of the glacier. Percy and Frank both cussed like horses and held on desperately while Hazel wrapped her arms around Arion's neck. Somehow, they managed not to fall off as Arion scaled the cliffs, jumping from foothold to foothold with impossible speed and agility. It was like falling down a mountain in reverse. Then it was over. Arion stood proudly at the top of a ridge of ice that loomed over the void. The sea was now three hundred feet below them. Arion whinnied a challenge that echoed off the mountains. Percy didn't translate, but Hazel was pretty sure Arion was calling out to any other horses that might be in the bay: Beat that , ya punks! Then he turned and ran inland across the top of the glacier, leaping a chasm fifty feet across. "There!" Percy pointed. The horse stopped. Ahead of them stood a frozen Roman camp like a giant-sized ghastly replica of Camp Jupiter. The trenches bristled with ice spikes. The snow-brick ramparts glared blinding white. Hanging from the guard towers, banners of frozen blue cloth shimmered in the arctic sun. There was no sign of_ _life._


	35. Chapter 34

I WOKE AT A TABLE AT A SIDEWALK CAFÉ.

For a second, I thought I was still having the vision. It was a sunny morning. The air was brisk but not unpleasant for sitting outside. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, business people, and college kids sat chatting and drinking coffee.

I thought about my dream. I was not me. I was a girl called Hazel. It was the same girl I had seen in my other visions, but this time, I was an actor, not a spectator. I was her. I was Hazel.

I could smell eucalyptus trees. Lots of foot traffic passed in front of quaint little shops. The street was lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as if winter was a foreign concept.

In other words: I was in California. I was home. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

My friends sat in chairs around me—all of them with their hands calmly folded across their chests, dozing pleasantly, apart from Piper, who was sitting in her chair, grumbling. And we all had new clothes on. I looked down at my own outfit and gasped.

"F*ck it!"

I yelled louder than I meant. Jason flinched, bumping the table with his knees, and then the rest of them were awake.

"What?" Hedge demanded. "Fight who? Where?"

"Falling!" Leo grabbed the table. "No—not falling. Where are we?"

Jason blinked, looking around. He then focused on Piper and made a little choking sound. "What are you wearing?"

Piper blushed. She was wearing a pretty turquoise dress, with black leggings and black leather boots. She had on a silver charm bracelet , and an old snowboarding jacket, which amazingly went with the outfit pretty well. She pulled out Katoptris, and judging from the reflection in the blade, she didn't like her new hair-do.

I hadn't been left out. I was now wearing a ridiculous jeweled black T-shirt, with grey denim shorts, and my choppy hair had been fashioned into a side plait, the end flicking over my shoulder.

"It's nothing," she said. "It's my—" She suddenly clamped her mouth, and shook her head. "It's nothing."

Leo grinned. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen. And Alex, I see you haven't escaped. I never thought you would let a goddess steal your precious hoodie, huh? "

I looked down, and discovered the unhappy truth of the statement.

"Oh crap." Then I pulled out a black hoodie with a rainbow streak down the front, and the words 'EVOLVE ImagineDragons' emblazoned on the back. Leo shook his head.

"I seriously think you have about a gajilion of these things. It's becoming a problem. At least I'm good."

"Hey, Leo. " Jason nudged his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What … oh. "

He had been give a makeover too. Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

"God, Leo. " Piper tried not to laugh. "I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt. "

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," said Coach Hedge. "'Course, I look better. "

The satyr was a pastel nightmare. Aphrodite had given him a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffed and then ate.

"Well," Jason said, "at least your mom overlooked me. "

From the way Piper looked at him, I knew that wasn't exactly true. Looking at them together, I could immediately tell this was meant to be. I was starting to wonder if Apollo claimed me by mistake. Jason was dressed simply in jeans and a clean purple T-shirt. He had new track shoes on, and his hair was newly trimmed. His eyes were the same color as the sky. Aphrodite's message was clear: This one needs no improvement.

And I think Piper agreed.

"Anyway," she said uncomfortably, "how did we get here?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge said, chewing happily on his carnation. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift—a nice soft breeze—cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo said. "Man, we suck. "

"Just figured that out?" I asked him.

"Ah, she'll be fine," Hedge said. "Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one aura I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats. "

"I'm going to be sick," Piper said. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge's grin was stained blue from the flower. "I love coffee!"

"Um," Jason said, "but—money? Our packs?"

I looked down. Our packs were at our feet, and everything seemed to still be there. Piper reached into her coat pocket, felt about for something, then pulled out a wad of cash.

Leo whistled. "Allowance? Piper, your mom rocks!"

"Waitress!" Hedge called. "Six double espressos, and whatever these guys want. Put it on the girl's tab. "

It didn't take us long to figure out where we were. The menus said "Café Verve, Walnut Creek, CA. " And according to the waitress, it was 9 a. m. on December 21, the winter solstice, which gave us three hours until Enceladus's deadline.

We didn't have to wonder where Mount Diablo was, either. We could see it on the horizon, right at the end of the street. After the Rockies, Mount Diablo didn't look very large, nor was it covered in snow. It seemed downright peaceful, its golden creases marbled with gray-green trees. But size was deceptive with mountains, I knew. It was probably much bigger up close. And appearances were deceptive too. Here they were—back in California—supposedly my home—with sunny skies, mild weather, laid-back people, and a plate of chocolate chip scones with coffee. And only a few miles away, somewhere on that peaceful mountain, a superpowerful, super-evil giant was about to have Piper's dad for lunch.

Leo pulled something out of his pocket—the old crayon drawing Aeolus had given him. Aphrodite must've thought it was important if she'd magically transferred it to his new outfit.

"What is that?" I asked.

Leo folded it up gingerly again and put it away. "Nothing. You don't want to see my kindergarten artwork. "

"It's more than that," Jason guessed. "Aeolus said it was the key to our success. "

Leo shook his head. "Not today. He was talking about… later. "

"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.

"Trust me," Leo said. "Now—what's our game plan?"

Coach Hedge belched. He'd already had three espressos and a plate of doughnuts, along with two napkins and another flower from the vase on the table. He would've eaten the silverware, except Piper had slapped his hand.

"Climb the mountain," Hedge said. "Kill everything except Piper's dad. Leave. "

"Thank you, General Eisenhower," I grumbled.

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

"Guys," Piper said. "There's more you need to know. "

Piper seemed to be struggling for words, but in the end, she told us our true enemy :Gaea.

"Gaea?" Leo shook his head. "Isn't that Mother Nature? She's supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and deer and rabbits doing her laundry. "

"Leo, that's Snow White," I said.

"Okay, but—"

"Listen, cupcake. " Coach Hedge dabbed the espresso out of his goatee. "Piper's telling us some serious stuff, here. Gaea's no softie. I'm not even sure I could take her. "

Leo whistled. "Really?"

Hedge nodded. "This earth lady—she and her old man the sky were nasty customers. "

"Ouranos," Piper said. I couldn't help looking up at the blue sky, wondering if it had eyes.

"Right," Hedge said. "So Ouranos, he's not the best dad. He throws their first kids, the Cyclopes, into Tartarus. That makes Gaea mad, but she bides her time. Then they have another set of kids—the twelve Titans—and Gaea is afraid they'll get thrown into prison too. So she goes up to her son Kronos—"

"The big bad dude," Leo said. "The one Alex and the missing guy, Percy defeated last summer. "

"Right. And Gaea's the one who gives him the scythe, and tells him, 'Hey, why don't I call your dad down here? And while he's talking to me, distracted, you can cut him to pieces. Then you can take over the world. Wouldn't that be great?'"

Nobody said anything. My chocolate chip scone didn't look so appetizing anymore. Even though I'd heard the story before, I still couldn't quite get my mind around it. I tried to imagine a kid so messed up, he would kill his own dad just for power. Then I imagined a mom so messed up, she would convince her son to do it.

"Definitely not Snow White," I decided.

"Nah, Kronos was a bad guy," Hedge said. "But Gaea is literally the mother of all bad guys. She's so old and powerful, so huge, that it's hard for her to be fully conscious. Most of the time, she sleeps, and that's the way we like her—snoring. ""But she talked to me and Al," Leo said. "How can she be asleep?"

Gleeson brushed crumbs off his canary yellow lapel. He was on his sixth espresso now, and his pupils were as big as quarters. "Even in her sleep, part of her consciousness is active—dreaming, keeping watch, doing little things like causing volcanoes to explode and monsters to rise. Even now, she's not fully awake. Believe me, you don't want to see her fully awake. "

"But she's getting more powerful," Piper said. "She's causing the giants to rise. And if their king comes back—this guy Porphyrion—"

"He'll raise an army to destroy the gods," Jason put in. "Starting with Hera. It'll be another war. And Gaea will wake up fully. "

Gleeson nodded. "Which is why it's a good idea for us to stay off the ground as much as possible. "


	36. Chapter 35

Leo looked warily at Mount Diablo. "So … climbing a mountain. That would be bad. "

Piper's face darkened, and she looked down. I could understand why. First, she'd been asked to betray us. Now we were trying to help her rescue her dad even though we knew we were walking into a trap. The idea of fighting a giant had been scary enough. But the idea that Gaea was behind it—a force more powerful than a god or Titan …

"Guys, I can't ask you to do this," Piper said. "This is too dangerous. "

"You kidding?" Gleeson belched and showed them his blue carnation smile. "Who's ready to beat stuff up?"

* * *

I hoped the taxi could take us all the way to the top.

No such luck. The cab made lurching, grinding sounds as it climbed the mountain road, and halfway up they found the ranger's station closed, a chain blocking the way.

"Far as I can go," the cabbie said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you. "

"We're sure. " I was the first one out, with Leo in close second. I had a bad feeling about what was wrong with the cab, and when I looked down I saw I was right. The wheels were sinking into the road like it was made of quicksand. Not fast—just enough to make the driver think he had a transmission problem or a bad axle—but I knew different.

The road was hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already my shoes were starting to sink. Gaea was messing with us.

While the rest of us got out, Leo paid the cabbie. He was generous—heck, why not? It was Aphrodite's money. Plus, we might never be coming off this mountain.

"Keep the change," he said. "And get out of here. Quick. "

The driver didn't argue. Soon all all could see was his dust trail.

The view from the mountain was pretty amazing. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo was a patchwork of towns—grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives—the kind I had never known.

"That's Concord," Jason said, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way …"

He pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco. "

"Jason?" Piper touched his arm. "You remember something? You've been here?"

"Yes … no. " He gave her an anguished look. "It just seems important. "

"That's Titan land. " Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get. "

But Jason looked toward the foggy basin with such longing that I felt uneasy. Why did Jason seem so connected with that place—a place Hedge said was evil, full of bad magic and old enemies? What if Jason came from here? Everybody kept hinting Jason was an enemy, that his arrival at Camp Half-Blood was a dangerous mistake.

No, I thought. Ridiculous. Jason was our friend.

I tried to move my foot, but my heels were now completely embedded in the dirt.

"Hey, guys," Leo said. "Let's keep moving. "

The others noticed the problem.

"Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice. "

Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?"

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez. " Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can. "

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.

Jason pointed toward the peak. Drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, I had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something was burning.

"Smoke equals fire," Jason said. "We'd better hurry. "

The nymphs at Camp had taken me on several forced marches. I thought I was in good shape. But climbing a mountain when the earth was trying to swallow my feet was like jogging on a flypaper treadmill.

In no time, I had rolled up the sleeves on my hoddie, even though the wind was cold and sharp. I wished Aphrodite had given me some more comfortable shoes, but I was grateful for the instant sun protection of your eyes hat came in the 'Child of Apollo' package. I slipped my hands into my first aid kit and started summoning supplies—plasters, bandages, a pair of tweezers. As I walked, I fiddled-not really thinking, just de-stressing bandages with tweezers, and sticking then back together with plasters.

By the time we neared the crest of the mountain, I had a heap of plastered bandages in my hands, and when Piper was giving me strange looks, I decided to put them away.

I missed my Camp shirt with it's secret pockets. Even more than that, I missed Festus. We could use a fire-breathing bronze dragon right now. But I knew Festus would not be coming back.

I looked at Leo, who had pulled out the dubbed 'Crayon drawing of destiny.' I wondered what it meant, what it had to do with our future.

First things first, I told myself. Survive today. Figure out crayon drawing of destiny later.

Finally Jason crouched behind a wall of rock. He gestured for the rest of us to do the same. Leo crawled up next to him, followed by me. Piper had to pull Coach Hedge down.

"I don't want to get my outfit dirty!" Hedge complained.

"Shhh!" Piper said.

Reluctantly, the satyr knelt.

Just over the ridge where we were hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, was a forested depression about the size of a football field, where the giant Enceladus had set up camp.

Trees had been cut down to make a towering purple bonfire. The outer rim of the clearing was littered with extra logs and construction equipment—an earthmover; a big crane thing with rotating blades at the end like an electric shaver—must be a tree harvester, I thought—and a long metal column with an ax blade, like a sideways guillotine—a hydraulic ax.

Why a giant needed construction equipment, I wasn't sure. I didn't see how the creature in front of him could even fit in the driver's seat. The giant Enceladus was so large, so horrible, I didn't want to look at him.

But I forced myself to focus on the monster.

To start with, he was thirty feet tall—easily as tall as the treetops. I was sure the giant could've seen us behind our ridge, but he seemed intent on the weird purple bonfire, circling it and chanting under his breath. From the waist up, the giant appeared humanoid, his muscular chest clad in bronze armor, decorated with flame designs. His arms were completely ripped. Each of his biceps was bigger than me. His skin was bronze but sooty with ash. His face was crudely shaped, like a half-finished clay figure, but his eyes glowed white, and his hair was matted in shaggy dreadlocks down to his shoulders, braided with bones.

From the waist down, he was even more terrifying. His legs were scaly green, with claws instead of feet—like the forelegs of a dragon. In his hand, Enceladus held a spear the size of a flagpole. Every so often he dipped its tip in the fire, turning the metal molten red.

"Okay," Coach Hedge whispered. "Here's the plan—"

Leo elbowed him. "You're not charging him alone!"

"Aw, c'mon. "

Piper choked back a sob. "Look. "

Just visible on the other side of the bonfire was a man tied to a post. His head slumped like he was unconscious, so I couldn't make out his face, but Piper didn't seem to have any doubts.

"Dad," she said.

I swallowed. I wished this were a Tristan McLean movie. Then Piper's dad would be faking unconsciousness. He'd untie his bonds and knock out the giant with some cleverly hidden anti-giant gas. Heroic music would start to play, and Tristan McLean would make his amazing escape, running away in slow motion while the mountainside exploded behind him.

But this wasn't a movie. Tristan McLean was half dead and about to be eaten. The only people who could stop it—four fashionably dressed teenaged demigods and a megalomaniac goat.

"There's five of us," Hedge whispered urgently. "And only one of him. "

"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asked.

"Okay," Hedge said. "So you, me, and Jason distract him. Piper sneaks around and frees her dad. "

We all looked at Jason.

"What?" Jason asked. "I'm not the leader. "

"Yes," Piper said. "You are. "

We'd never really talked about it, but no one disagreed, not even Hedge. Coming this far had been a team effort, but when it came to a life-and-death decision, I knew Jason was the one to ask. Even if he had no memory, Jason had a kind of balance to him. You could just tell he'd been in battles before, and he knew how to keep his cool. I wasn't exactly the trusting type, but I trusted Jason with my life.

"I hate to say it," Jason sighed, "but Coach Hedge is right. A distraction is Piper's best chance. "

Not a good chance, I thought. Not even a survivable chance. Just our best chance.

We couldn't sit there all day and talk about it, though. It had to be close to noon—the giant's deadline—and the ground was still trying to pull them down. My knees had already sunk two inches into the dirt.

Leo looked at the construction equipment, and then nudged my shoulder. He brought out a little toy he'd made on the climb, and I realized what it could do—if we were lucky, which we almost never were.

"Let's boogie," he said. "Before I come to my senses. "

The plan went wrong almost immediately. Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Leo, Jason,me, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than I could've managed. I was thinking more along the lines of, "We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us!"

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise. "

I didn't like the sound of that. I nudged Leo, and his hand closed on his windup gadget. He stepped sideways, edging his way toward the bulldozer.

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up. "

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals. "

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at me. "I don't think that was a compliment. "

Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

"Scatter!" Leo yelled.

Jason and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire, and I ducked right—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo dodged behind the bulldozer, wound up his homemade device, and dropped it into the driver's seat. Then he ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jason rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent me sprawling. I blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, I saw Jason staggering to his feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees—a view I really didn't need.

I didn't need more convincing. I grabbed my sword off my neck so fast it hurt, and I couldn't breathe for a bit.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to my right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

My gut twisted. This was the moment Piper had warned us about. We'd played right into Enceladus's hands.

The giant must've read my expression, because he laughed even louder. "That's right, daughter of Apollo. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

I could see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned—yep, Tristan McLean all right. I had seen that face in enough movies. But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly—not heroic at all.

"Dad!" Piper yelled.

Mr. McLean blinked, trying to focus. "Pipes … ? Where …"

Piper drew her dagger and faced Enceladus. "Let him go!"

"Of course, dear," the giant rumbled. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die. "

Piper looked back and forth between Leo and her dad.

"He'll kill you," Leo warned. "Don't trust him!"

"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren—I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!"

Jason was on his feet now, lance ready; but before he could act, Enceladus roared—a call so loud it echoed down the valley and was probably heard all the way to San Francisco.

At the edge the woods, half a dozen ogre-like creatures rose up. I realized with nauseating certainty that they hadn't simply been hiding there. They'd risen straight out of the earth.


	37. Chapter 36

The ogres shuffled forward. They were small compared to Enceladus, about seven feet tall. Each one of them had six arms—one pair in the regular spot, then an extra pair sprouting out the top of their shoulders, and another set shooting from the sides of their rib cages. They wore only ragged leather loincloths, and even across the clearing, I could smell them. Six guys who never bathed, with six armpits each. I decided if I survived this day, I'd have to take a three-hour shower just to forget the stench.

I stepped toward Piper. "What—what are those?"

Her blade reflected the purple light of the bonfire. "Gegenees."

"In English?" I asked.

"The Earthborn," she said. "Six-armed giants who fought Jason—the first Jason."

"Very good, my dear!" Enceladus sounded delighted. "They used to live on a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment—"

"Vroom, vroom!" one of the Earthborn bellowed, and the others took up the chant, each moving his six hands as though driving a car, as if it were some kind of weird religious ritual. "Vroom, vroom!"

"Yes, thank you, boys," Encedalus said. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screamed. They all picked up clumps of earth, which solidified in their hands, turning to nasty pointed stones. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"

Enceladus smiled. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."

Piper stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with such rage, even the Earthborn backed away. She radiated power and beauty, but it had nothing to do with her clothes or her makeup.

"You will not take the people I love," she said. "None of them."

Her words rippled across the clearing with such force, the Earthborn muttered, "Okay. Okay, sorry," and began to retreat.

"Stand your ground, fools!" Enceladus bellowed. He snarled at Piper. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earth-born! I will show you Jason."

My heart sank. But the giant didn't point to Jason. He pointed to the other side of the bonfire, where Tristan McLean hung helpless and half conscious.

"There is Jason," Enceladus said with pleasure. "Tear him apart!"

My biggest surprise: One look from Jason, and all four of us knew the game plan. When had that happened, that we could read each other so well?

Jason and I charged Enceladus, while Piper rushed to her father, and Leo dashed for the tree harvester, which stood between Mr. McLean and the Earthborn.

The Earthborn were fast, but Leo ran like a storm spirit. He leaped toward the harvester from five feet away and slammed into the driver's seat. His hands flew across the controls, and the machine responded with unnatural speed—coming to life as if it knew how important this was.

"Ha!" Leo screamed, and swung the crane arm through the bonfire, toppling burning logs onto the Earthborn and spraying sparks everywhere. Two giants went down under a fiery avalanche and melted back into the earth—hopefully to stay for a while.

The other four ogres stumbled across burning logs and hot coals while Leo brought the harvester around. He smashed a button, and on the end of the crane arm the wicked rotating blades began to whir.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Piper at the stake, cutting her father free. On the other side of the clearing was me and Jason, fighting the giant, somehow managing to dodge his massive spear and blasts of fire breath. Coach Hedge was still heroically passed out with his goat tail sticking up in the air.

The whole side of the mountain would soon be ablaze. The fire wouldn't bother Leo, but the rest of us would be slightly burnt demigod toast. No- that couldn't happen. As I dodged an attack, I prayed for Leo, that he'd do this.

One of the Earthborn—apparently not the most intelligent one—charged the tree harvester, and Leo swung the crane arm in his direction. As soon as the blades touched the ogre, he dissolved like wet clay and splattered all over the clearing. Most of him flew into Leo's face.

He spit clay out of his mouth and turned the harvester toward the three remaining Earthborn, who backed up quickly.

"Bad vroom-vroom!" one yelled.

"Yeah, that's right!" Leo yelled at them. "You want some bad vroom-vroom? Come on!"

Unfortunately, they did. Three ogres with six arms, each throwing large, hard rocks at super speed—and I knew it was over. Somehow, Leo launched himself in a backward somersault off the harvester half a second before a boulder demolished the driver's seat. Rocks slammed into metal. By the time Leo stumbled to his feet, the harvester looked like a crushed soda can, sinking in the mud.

"Dozer!" Leo yelled.

The ogres were picking up more clumps of earth, but this time they were glaring in Piper's direction.

Thirty feet away, the bulldozer roared to life. Leo's makeshift gadget had done its job, burrowing into the earthmover's controls and giving it a temporary life of its own. It roared toward the enemy.

Just as Piper cut her father free and caught him in her arms, the giants launched their second volley of stones. The dozer swiveled in the mud, skidding to intercept, and most of the rocks slammed into its shovel. The force was so great it pushed the dozer back. Two rocks ricocheted and struck their throwers. Two more Earthborn melted into clay. Unfortunately, one rock hit the dozer's engine, sending up a cloud of oily smoke, and the dozer groaned to a stop. Another great toy broken.

Piper dragged her father below the ridge. The last Earth-born charged after her.

I looked towards Jason. He was holding up good, so I took a deep breath, and ran to save Piper.

"Hey, stupid!" I yelled, and threw a bandage roll at the Earthborn.

It didn't kill the ogre, but it sure got his attention. The roll went around the Earthborn's forehead like a turban.

The Earthborn yelped in embarrassment. He unravelled the bandages, turned and glared at me. Sadly, this last ogre looked like the biggest and nastiest of the bunch. Gaea had really gone all out creating him—with extra muscle upgrades, deluxe ugly face, the whole package.

Oh, great, I thought. I've made a friend.

"You die!" the Earthborn roared. "Friend of Yay-son dies!"

The ogre scooped up handfuls of dirt, which immediately hardened into rock cannonballs.

My mind went blank. I pulled out my bow and arrows, but for some reason, my hands were trembling. I was supposed to be good at archery, but it looked like I was not doing anything on this one.

Fine, I thought. I'll go out Apollo-style.

I pulled out the magical singing arrow, yelled, "Apollo!" over the deafening din that was my father's awful voice, and charged at the ogre arrowhanded.

I never got there.

A blur of turquoise and black flashed behind the ogre. A gleaming bronze blade sliced up one side of the Earthborn and down the other.

Six large arms dropped to the ground, boulders rolling out of their useless hands. The Earthborn looked down, very surprised. He mumbled, "Arms go bye-bye."

Then he melted into the ground.

Piper stood there, breathing hard, her dagger covered with clay. Her dad sat at the ridge, dazed and wounded, but still alive.

Piper's expression was ferocious—almost crazy, like a cornered animal. I was glad she was on my side.

"Nobody hurts my friends," she said, and with a sudden warm feeling, I realized she was talking about the rest of us. Then she yelled, "Come on!"

But the battle still wasn't over. Jason was still fighting the giant Enceladus—and it wasn't going well. I cursed in Ancient Greek, and slapped myself sharply on the face. How could I leave Jason like this?

I rushed into help him at once.

The battle went in fully fledged. Jason's lance broke, but just as Enceladus came in for a final strike, I shot an arrow in his eye, temporarily blinding him.

Jason rolled away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabbed Enceladus in the ankle. His javelin managed to pierce the thick dragon hide, and golden ichor—the blood of immortals—trickled down the giant's clawed foot.

Enceladus bellowed in pain and blasted him with fire. Jason scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and struck again behind his knee.

It went on like that for seconds, minutes—it was hard to judge. I heard combat across the clearing—construction equipment grinding, fire roaring, monsters shouting, and rocks smashing into metal. I heard Leo and Piper yelling defiantly, which meant they were still alive. I tried not to think about it. I couldn't afford to get distracted.

Enceladus's spear missed me by a millimeter. I kept dodging, but the ground stuck to my feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster. Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. He began anticipating my moves, and my attacks were only annoying him, making him more enraged.

"I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellowed. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! Your little golden toothpicks can't kill me, demigods!"

I didn't waste energy replying. I was already tired. The ground clung to my feet, making me feel like I weighed an extra hundred pounds. The air was full of smoke that burned my lungs. My breath was raspy. Fires roared around me, stoked by the winds, and the temperature was approaching the heat of an oven.

Jason raised his javelin to block the giant's next strike—a big mistake. He managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed his shoulder, and his arm dropped. I suddenly collapsed from exhaustion. I could now do nothing but watch.

He backed up, almost tripping over a burning log.

Jason had to delay—to keep the giant's attention fixed on him while Piper and Leo dealt with the Earthborn and rescued Piper's dad. He couldn't fail. All hopes were riding on him. I really hoped he didn't fail.

He retreated, trying to lure the giant to the edge of the clearing. Enceladus could sense he was tired. The giant smiled, baring his fangs.

"The mighty Jason Grace," he taunted. "Yes, we know about you, son of Jupiter. The one who led the assault on Mount Othrys. The one who single-handedly slew the Titan Krios and toppled the black throne."

Jason's face went blank with recognition.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. He must've realized his mistake when Enceladus breathed fire.

Distracted, Jason moved too slowly. The blast missed him, but heat blistered his back. He slammed into the ground, his clothes smoldering. He was choking as he tried to breathe.

He scrambled back as the giant's spear cleaved the ground between his feet.

Jason managed to stand.

If he could only summon one good blast of lightning—but he was already drained, and in this condition, the effort might kill him. I didn't even know if electricity would harm the giant.

_Death in battle is honourable, said a voice._

_Who said that? I asked. But I already knew. _

_Lupa, my dear. I am Lupa. And I am the protector of Jason Grace._

_Wait, what?! I screeched._

_And hurry! She taunted. Soon I will also be the guardian of your friend and fellow warrior._

_Wait!...My breath was dry. You...You don't mean Percy..._

_Yes my child. And the image of a kindly yet fierce she-wolf came into my head._

_Percy Jackson._

* * *

**Chapter 36...almost to the 40 mark! I don't know what to say, except Exams are killing me. You lucky preschoolers.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	38. Chapter 37

I opened my eyes, and took in my surroundings. It looked like I was in one of those airplane commercial things, except the turbulance told me I was in a helicopter. Next to me were Piper and Jason, and I could see Leo's curly hair in the front seat. Piper seemed to be talking to someone, who I assumed was the pilot.

"No," Piper said. "He only looks like him. Forget it."

"Yeah," the pilot said. "Only looks like him. I—" She blinked, confused. "I forgot what I was saying. Let's get going."

Jason raised his eyebrows at Piper, obviously impressed, but Piper looked miserable. I could tell she didn't want to play with people's memories, not like Jason's.

Then Jason noticed I was awake.

"Hey, Alex, you're awake, huh?"

"Yeah," I said weakly. "What happened."

"Well," Jason began to explain. "I managed to summon electricity, and defeat Encealadus. And then we're here. In a helicopter. On our way to free Hera. Just watching the reunion, while trying not to at the same time." He then turned his face towards Piper and her dad.

"Piper." Her dad grasped her hand and held on like he was afraid he'd fall. "It's you? They told me—they told me you would die. They said … horrible things would happen."

"It's me, Dad." Piper looked on the verge of tears. "Everything's going to be okay."

"They were monsters," he said. "Real monsters. Earth spirits, right out of Grandpa Tom's stories—and the Earth Mother was angry with me. And the giant, Tsul'kälû, breathing fire—" He focused on Piper again, his eyes like broken glass, reflecting a crazy kind of light. "They said you were a demigod. Your mother was …"

"Aphrodite," Piper said. "Goddess of love."

"I—I—" He took a shaky breath, then seemed to forget how to exhale.

We were careful not to watch. Leo fiddled with a lug nut from his tool belt. Jason gazed at the valley below—the roads backing up as mortals stopped their cars and gawked at the burning mountain. Gleeson chewed on the stub of his carnation, and for once the satyr didn't look in the mood to yell or boast. I simply joined Jason looking out the window at the burning mountain behind us.

Tristan McLean wasn't supposed to be seen like this. He was a star. He was confident, stylish, suave—always in control. That was the public image he projected. I could tell Piper was about to have an emotional breakdown.

"I didn't know about Mom," Piper told him. "Not until you were taken. When we found out where you were, we came right away. My friends helped me. No one will hurt you again."

Her dad couldn't stop shivering. "You're heroes—you and your friends. I can't believe it. You're a real hero, not like me. Not playing a part. I'm so proud of you, Pipes." But the words were muttered listlessly, in a semi-trance.

He gazed down on the valley, and his grip on Piper's hand went slack. "Your mother never told me."

"She thought it was for the best." It sounded lame, and no amount of charmspeak could change that.

Piper felt inside the pocket of her jacket, but came out empty-handed. No wads of cash this time.

She held his hand, speaking to him about small things—her time at the Wilderness School, her cabin at Camp Half-Blood. She told him how Coach Hedge ate carnations and got knocked on his butt on Mount Diablo, how Leo had tamed a dragon, and how Jason had made wolves back down by talking in Latin. How both of us had save the boys in Medea's place. We smiled reluctantly as she recounted our adventures. Her dad seemed to relax as she talked, but he didn't smile. I wasn't even sure he heard her.

As we passed over the hills into the East Bay, Jason tensed. He leaned so far out the doorway I was afraid he'd fall.

He pointed. "What is that?"

I looked down, but I didn't see anything interesting—just hills, woods, houses, little roads snaking through the canyons. A highway cut through a tunnel in the hills, connecting the East Bay with the inland towns.

"Where?" I asked.

"That road," he said. "The one that goes through the hills."

"The pilot says it's Highway 24," Piper reported. "That's the Caldecott Tunnel. Why?"

Jason stared intently at the tunnel entrance, but he said nothing. It disappeared from view as we flew over downtown Oakland, but Jason still stared into the distance, his expression almost as unsettled as Piper's dad's.

"Monsters," her dad said, a tear tracing his cheek. "I live in a world of monsters."

Air traffic control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem.

We unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.

"What now?" Jason asked her.

She looked uncomfortable. But she pulled herself together to say,

"First thing," she said. "I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

Our faces fell.

"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Pipes, no." Her dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled to his feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.

I stared at him. The satyr was the last person I'd expected to offer. Piper seemed to have gotten the same idea.

"You?" she asked.

"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting."

He sounded a little crestfallen, and I realized maybe Piper shouldn't have recounted how he got knocked unconscious in the last battle. In his own way, maybe the satyr was as sensitive as her dad.

Then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at us all, daring us to argue.

"Yes," Jason said.

"Terrifying," Leo agreed.

"Makes me piss my pants," I added, wanting to join the fun. Leo snorted, and covered his mouth, but the Coach seemed satisfied.

"But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But …" Piper's eyes watered, as if she were back in the forest fire. "Dad …"

He held out his arms, and she hugged him. He looked frail. He was trembling so much, it scared me. Would he make it?

"Let's give them a minute," Jason said, and we took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.

Suddenly Tristan McLean collapsed behind us, and we rushed to help.

"Got him," Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?"

Piper was about to tell him, but she checked her dad's pocket, and I guess his BlackBerry was still there. It seemed bizarre that he'd still have something so normal after all he'd been through, but I guessed Enceladus hadn't seen any reason to take it.

"Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up, like he sensed a possible fight. "Who's Jane?"

By the time Piper explained, her dad's sleek white Gulf-stream had taxied next to the helicopter.

Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes. He gave Piper a hug and glared at Jason, me and Leo.

"You cupcakes take care of this girl, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach," Leo said, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"No push-ups," I promised.

Piper gave the old satyr one more hug. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean," he assured her. "They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this."

Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. I figured she'd probably seen stranger things, working for Tristan McLean.

When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. Jason was hugging her, and Leo an me, we stood uncomfortably nearby, pulling Kleenex out of our supplies.

"Your dad's in good hands," Jason said. "You did amazing."

She sobbed into his shirt. She stayed there for a bit, and the alarm bells in my head were going off

JASPER JASPER JASPER JASPER

Then they turned off as Piper rose up with a new determination in her eyes.

* * *

**FINALLY! Exams are over. Well, we still have science, BUT WHO CARES ABOUT SCIENCE!**

**ahem. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**

**(_YAY, NO MORE EXAMS!_**

**_No more exams...)_**


	39. Chapter 38

**Hey, I know I haven't updated, but I really have no excuse this time. Forgive and forget? (Sweats nervously). Any ways. Even if I am going to stick to mainly Alex perspective, before I stop, I'm going to do one in Piper's perspective to balance things out. Just saying. Bare with. Don't kill me. Thank you. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Thank you, guys," I said. "I—"

I wanted to tell them how much they meant to me. They'd sacrificed everything, maybe even the quest, to help me. I couldn't repay them, couldn't even put my gratitude into words. But my friends' expressions told me they understood.

Then, right next to Alex, the air began to shimmer. At first I thought it was heat off the tarmac, or maybe gas fumes from the helicopter, but I'd seen something like this before in Medea's fountain. It was an Iris message. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow.

Jason stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"

"Thank the gods," said the Hunter. The scene behind her was hard to make out, but I heard yelling, metal clashing on metal, and explosions.

"We've found her," Thalia said. "Where are you?"

"Oakland," he said. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?" I cried. Hope surged through me, but Thalia's expression quickly dampened it.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" he pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"

This made no sense to me, but Jason looked like he'd been shot. He tottered, his face pale, and the Iris message disappeared.

"Bro, you all right?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."

Alex looked like an electric shock ran through her body. She straightened up, and her eyes widened. When Leo asked what was wrong, she shook her head and brushed him off. I knew something was up, and I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

I turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.

"Ma'am," I said with my best smile. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?"

"I don't mind," the pilot agreed.

"We can't take a mortal into battle," Jason said. "It's too dangerous." He turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"

"Um …" Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure me. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine.

"Bell 412HP utility helicopter," Leo said. "Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure, I can fly it."

I smiled at the ranger again. "You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you? We'll return it."

"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words, but she got them out: "I don't have a problem with that."

Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."

"Can you say something that's actually gonna make us want to ride it?" Alex asked with a groan, but like the rest of us, she hopped on anyway.

The sun was going down as we flew north over the Richmond Bridge, and I couldn't believe the day had gone so quickly. Once again, nothing like ADHD and a good fight to the death to make time fly.

Piloting the chopper, Leo was going pretty steady. Of course, I didn't want to jinx it. Leo would pause for some time, and then start flipping switches pushing buttons. Then he would go silent again. This continued, until-

"Going okay?" I asked from the copilot's seat. I sounded more nervous than he looked, or tried to look.

"Aces," he said. "So what's the Wolf House?"

Jason knelt between their seats. "An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it—Jack London."

Leo couldn't seem place the name. Alex stuck her tounge out in that weird way she did when she was thinking.

"He an actor?"

"Writer," I said. "Adventure stuff, right? Call of the Wild? White Fang?"

"Yeah," Jason said. "He was a son of Mercury—I mean, Hermes. He was an adventurer, traveled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build this huge mansion—the Wolf House."

"Named that 'cause he wrote about wolves?" Leo guessed.

"Partially," Jason said. "But the site, and the reason he wrote about wolves—he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story—how he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much—stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod."

The bay slipped behind us, and the helicopter continued north. Ahead of us, yellow hills rolled out as far as I could see.

"So Jack London went to Camp Half-Blood," Alex guessed.

"No," Jason said. "No, he didn't."

"Bro, you're freaking me out with the mysterious talk. Are you remembering your past or not?"

"Pieces," Jason said. "Only pieces. None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child—where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died, and his ashes were buried on the site."

"So," I said, "how do you know all this?"

A shadow crossed Jason's face. Probably just a cloud, but I could swear the shape looked like an eagle.

"I started my journey there too," Jason said. "It's a powerful place for demigods, a dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raise Porphyrion—that might be enough to awaken the earth goddess fully."

Leo kept his hand on the joystick, guiding the chopper at full speed—racing toward the north. There was a small dark spot where we were headed. I could only hope we could go around it.

There were some sudden metal creaking sounds that did not sound good. Leo leveled out the chopper, and the creaking stopped.

"Thirty minutes out," Leo told us, though I wasn't sure how he knew. "If you want to get some rest, now's a good time."

Jason strapped himself into the back of the helicopter and passed out almost immediately. Me, Alex and Leo stayed wide-awake.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Leo said, "Your dad'll be fine, you know. Nobody's gonna mess with him with that crazy goat around."

I glanced at him

"My dad," I said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I know. I was thinking about Jason. I'm worried about him."

Leo nodded. The closer we got to that bank of dark clouds, the more I worried, too.

"He's starting to remember. That's got to make him a little edgy."

"But what if … what if he's a different person?"

I had had the same thought. If the Mist could affect their memories, could Jason's whole personality be an illusion, too? If our friend wasn't our friend, and we were heading into a cursed mansion—a dangerous place for demigods—what would happen if Jason's full memory came back in the middle of a battle?

"Nah," Leo decided. "After all we've been through? I can't see it. We're a team. Jason can handle it."

I smoothed my blue dress, which was tattered and burned from our fight on Mount Diablo. "I hope you're right. I need him …" I cleared my throat. "I mean I need to trust him…"

"I know," Leo said.

After seeing my dad break down, I couldn't afford to lose Jason as well. I'd just watched dad, my cool suave movie star dad, reduced to near insanity. It made me feel insecure, too. If weakness was inherited, I wondered, could I break down the same way dad did?

"Hey, don't worry," Leo said. "Piper, you're the strongest, most powerful beauty queen I've ever met. You can trust yourself. For what it's worth, you can trust me too."

The helicopter dipped in a wind shear, and I almost jumped out of my skin. Leo cursed and righted the chopper.

I laughed nervously. "Trust you, huh?"

"Yeah, Leo, trust you to crash this helicopter into a brick wall you didn't see because you were too busy boasting about the muscles you don't have, much," Alex added sarcastically.

"Ah, shut up, already." But he grinned at her, and for a second, it felt like he was just relaxing comfortably with a friend.

Then we hit the storm clouds.


	40. Chapter 39

**Back to Alex now! I will never change again. Sorry if it got confusing. Onto the story now.**

**(oh I missed you Alex...)(Pitiful crying...)**

* * *

At first, I thought rocks were pelting the windshield. Then I realized it was sleet. Frost built up around the edges of the glass, and slushy waves of ice blotted out my view.

"An ice storm?" Piper shouted over the engine and the wind. "Is it supposed to be this cold in Sonoma?"

I wasn't sure, but something about this storm seemed conscious, malevolent—like it was intentionally slamming woke up quickly. Jason suddenly woke up. He crawled forward, grabbing Leo's seat for balance.

"We've got to be getting close."

Leo was too busy wrestling with the stick to reply. Suddenly it didn't look so easy to drive the chopper. Its movements turned sluggish and jerky. The whole machine shuddered in the icy wind. The helicopter probably hadn't been prepped for cold-weather flying. There was a sudden beeping noise, and we started to lose altitude.

Below them, the ground was a dark quilt of trees and fog. The ridge of a hill loomed in front of them and Leo yanked the stick, just clearing the treetops.

"There!" Jason shouted.

A small valley opened up before us, with the murky shape of a building in the middle. Leo aimed the helicopter straight for it. All around us were flashes of light that reminded me of the tracer fire at Midas's compound. Trees cracked and exploded at the edges of the clearing. Shapes moved through the mist. Combat seemed to be everywhere.

He set down the helicopter in an icy field about fifty yards from the house and killed the engine. We were about to relax when we heard a whistling sound and saw a dark shape hurtling toward us out of the mist.

"Out!" Leo screamed.

We leaped from the helicopter and barely cleared the rotors before a massive BOOM shook the ground, knocking me and Leo off our feet and splattering ice all over us.

I got up shakily and I then gave Leo a hand, seeing as I flattened. I saw that the world's largest snowball—a chunk of snow, ice, and dirt the size of a garage—had completely flattened the Bell 412.

"You all right?" Jason ran up to us, Piper at his side. They both looked fine except for being speckled with snow and mud.

"Yeah." Leo shivered. "Guess we owe that ranger lady a new helicopter."

Piper pointed south. "Fighting's over there." Then she frowned. "No … it's all around us."

She was right. The sounds of combat rang across the valley. The snow and mist made it hard to tell for sure, but there seemed to be a circle of fighting all around the Wolf House.

Behind us loomed Jack London's dream home—a massive ruin of red and gray stones and rough-hewn timber beams. I could imagine how it had looked before it burned down—a combination log cabin and castle, like a billionaire lumberjack might build. But in the mist and sleet, the place had a lonely, haunted feel. I could totally believe the ruins were cursed.

"Jason!" a girl's voice called.

Thalia appeared from the fog, her parka caked with snow. Her bow was in her hand, and her quiver was almost empty. She ran toward us, but made it only a few steps before a six-armed ogre—one of the Earthborn—burst out of the storm behind her, a raised club in each hand.

"Look out!" Leo yelled. We rushed to help, but Thalia had it under control. She launched herself into a flip, notching an arrow as she pivoted like a gymnast and landed in a kneeling position. The ogre got a silver arrow right between the eyes and melted into a pile of clay.

Thalia stood and retrieved her arrow, but the point had snapped off. "That was my last one." She kicked the pile of clay resentfully. "Stupid ogre."

"Nice shot, though," Leo said.

Thalia ignored him as usual. She hugged me and Jason and nodded to Piper. "Just in time. My Hunters are holding a perimeter around the mansion, but we'll be overrun any minute."

"Here, use some of these," I handed Thalia some enchanted arrows. Thalia smiled at me gratefully.

"Thanks, Alex."

"By Earthborn?" Jason asked.

"And wolves—Lycaon's minions." Thalia blew a fleck of ice off her nose. "Also storm spirits—"

"But we gave them to Aeolus!" Piper protested.

"Who tried to kill us," I reminded her. "Maybe he's helping Gaea again."

"I don't know," Thalia said. "But the monsters keep re-forming almost as fast as we can kill them. We took the Wolf House with no problem: surprised the guards and sent them straight to Tartarus. But then this freak snowstorm blew in. Wave after wave of monsters started attacking. Now we're surrounded. I don't know who or what is leading the assault, but I think they planned this. It was a trap to kill anyone who tried to rescue Hera."

"Where is she?" Jason asked.

"Inside," Thalia said. "We tried to free her, but we can't figure out how to break the cage. It's only a few minutes until the sun goes down. Hera thinks that's the moment when Porphyrion will be reborn. Plus, most monsters are stronger at night. If we don't free Hera soon—"

She didn't need to finish the thought.

All of us followed her into the ruined mansion.

Jason stepped over the threshold and immediately collapsed.

"Hey!" Leo caught him. "None of that, man. What's wrong?"

"This place …" Jason shook his head. "Sorry … It came rushing back to me."

"So you have been here," I said.

"We both have," Thalia said. Her expression was grim, like she was reliving someone's death. "This is where my mom took us when Jason was a child. She left him here, told me he was dead. He just disappeared."

"She gave me to the wolves," Jason murmured. "At Hera's insistence. She gave me to Lupa."

"That part I didn't know." Thalia frowned. "Who is Lupa?"

An explosion shook the building. Just outside, a blue mushroom cloud billowed up, raining snowflakes and ice like a nuclear blast made of cold instead of heat.

"Maybe this isn't the time for questions," Leo suggested. "Show us the goddess."

Once inside, Jason seemed to get his bearings. The house was built in a giant U, and Jason led us between the two wings to an outside courtyard with an empty reflecting pool. At the bottom of the pool, just as Jason had described from his dream, two spires of rock and root tendrils had cracked through the foundation.

One of the spires was much bigger—a solid dark mass about twenty feet high, and to me it looked like a stone body bag. Underneath the mass of fused tendrils he could make out the shape of a head, wide shoulders, a massive chest and arms, like the creature was stuck waist deep in the earth. No, not stuck—rising.

On the opposite end of the pool, the other spire was smaller and more loosely woven. Each tendril was as thick as a telephone pole, with so little space between them that I doubted I could've gotten his arm through. Still, I could see inside. And in the center of the cage stood Hera.

But she didn't look like Hera. There was a grey light off her, and she was weak. The cage was slowly deflating her powers.

Leo dropped into the pool and approached the cage. "Hola, Tía. Little bit of trouble?"

So _this _was Tía Callida. Leo's pchycotic babysitter.

Hera crossed her arms and sighed in exasperation. "Don't inspect me like I'm one of your machines, Leo Valdez. Get me out of here!"

Thalia stepped next to him and looked at the cage with distaste—or maybe she was looking at the goddess. "We tried everything we could think of, Leo, but maybe my heart wasn't in it. If it was up to me, I'd just leave her in there."

"Ohh, Thalia Grace," the goddess said. "When I get out of here, you'll be sorry you were ever born."

"Save it!" Thalia snapped. "You've been nothing but a curse to every child of Zeus for ages. You sent a bunch of intestinally challenged cows after my friend Annabeth—"

"She was disrespectful!"

"What what!?" I snorted. But my amusement was short lived.

"You dropped a statue on my legs."

"It was an accident!"

"And you took my brother!" Thalia's voice cracked with emotion. "Here—on this spot. You ruined our lives. We should leave you to Gaea!"

"Hey," Jason intervened. "Thalia—Sis—I know. But this isn't the time. You should help your Hunters."

Thalia clenched her jaw. "Fine. For you, Jason. But if you ask me, she isn't worth it."

Thalia turned, leaped out of the pool, and stormed from the building.

Leo turned to Hera with grudging respect. "Intestinally challenged cows?"

"Focus on the cage, Leo," she grumbled. "And Jason—you are wiser than your sister. I chose my champion well."

"I'm not your champion, lady," Jason said. "I'm only helping you because you stole my memories and you're better than the alternative. Speaking of which, what's going on with that?"

He nodded to the other spire that looked like the king-size granite body bag. Was I imagining it, or had it grown taller since we'd gotten here?

"That, Jason," Hera said, "is the king of the giants being reborn."

"Gross," Piper said.

"Indeed," Hera said. "Porphyrion, the strongest of his kind. Gaea needed a great deal of power to raise him again —my power. For weeks I've grown weaker as my essence was used to grow him a new form."

"So you're like a heat lamp," Leo guessed. "Or fertilizer."

The goddess glared at him, but Leo didn't look like he cared.

"Joke all you wish," Hera said in a clipped tone. "But at sundown, it will be too late. The giant will awake. He will offer me a choice: marry him, or be consumed by the earth. And I cannot marry him. We will all be destroyed. And as we die, Gaea will awaken."

I frowned at the giant's spire.

"Can't we blow it up or something?" Leo asked.

"Without me, you do not have the power," Hera said. "You might as well try to destroy a mountain."

"Done that once today," I said.

"Just hurry up and let me out!" Hera demanded.

Jason scratched his head. "Leo, can you do it?"

"I don't know." Leo tried not to panic. "Besides, if she's a goddess, why hasn't she busted herself out?"

Hera paced furiously around her cage, cursing in Ancient Greek. "Use your brain, Leo Valdez. I picked you because you're intelligent. Once trapped, a god's power is useless. Your own father trapped me once in a golden chair. It was humiliating! I had to beg—beg him for my freedom and apologize for throwing him off Olympus."

"Sounds fair," Leo said.

Hera gave him the godly stink-eye. "I've watched you since you were a child, son of Hephaestus, because I knew you could aid me at this moment. If anyone can find a way to destroy this abomination, it is you."

"But it's not a machine. It's like Gaea thrust her hand out of the ground and …" Leo looked dizzy. The line of the prophecy-The forge and dove shall break the cage."Hold on. I do have an idea. Piper, I'm going to need your help. And we're going to need time."

The air turned brittle with cold. The temperature dropped so fast,my lips cracked and my breath changed to mist. Frost coated the walls of the Wolf House. Venti rushed in —but instead of winged men, these were shaped like horses, with dark storm-cloud bodies and manes that crackled with lightning. Some had silver arrows sticking out of their flanks. Behind them came red-eyed wolves and the six-armed Earthborn.


	41. Chapter 40

Piper drew her dagger. Jason grabbed an ice-covered plank off the pool floor. Leo reached into his tool belt, but all he produced was a tin of breath mints. He shoved them back in, and drew a hammer instead. I pulled out my sword, not having time to reach in and grab my bow.

One of the wolves padded forward. It was dragging a human-size statue by the leg. At the edge of the pool, the wolf opened its maw and dropped the statue for us to see—an ice sculpture of a girl, an archer with short spiky hair and a surprised look on her face.

"Thalia!" Jason rushed forward, but Piper and I pulled him back. The ground around Thalia's statue was already webbed with ice. I was scared that if Jason touched her, he might freeze too.

"Who did this?" Jason yelled. His body crackled with electricity. "I'll kill you myself!"

From somewhere behind the monsters, I heard a girl's laughter, clear and cold. She stepped out of the mist in her snowy white dress, a silver crown atop her long black hair. She regarded them with those deep brown eyes Leo had fallen for in Quebec.

"Bon soir, mes amis," said Khione, the goddess of snow. She gave Leo a frosty smile. "Alas, son of Hephaestus, you say you need time? I'm afraid time is one tool you do not have."

After the fight on Mount Dioablo, I didn't think I could ever feel more afraid or devastated.

Now one of my best friends, and fellow archer, was frozen at my feet. We were surrounded by monsters. I didn't have the aim or long range shooting of a sword. We had approximately five minutes until the king of the giants busted out and destroyed us. Jason had already pulled his biggest ace, calling down Zeus's lightning when he'd fought Enceladus, and I doubted he'd have the strength or the cooperation from above to do it again. They must hav recieved word from Enceladus about Piper, which means thay would be prepared for her. As for me, thay knew my strategies, and Leo-they knew he was deadly with a scrap of metal. Which meant our only assets were one whiny imprisoned goddess, a tired boy holding a wooden slab, Piper with a dagger, me with my sword, and Leo, who apparently thought he could defeat the armies of darkness with breath mints.

On top of all this, I could sense dangers about this place, dangers far worse that what either Thalia or Jason warned us of. Which most of the time wasn't a good thing.

The enemy was beautiful. Khione smiled, her dark eyes glittering, as a dagger of ice grew in her hand.

"What've you done?" Jason demanded.

"Oh, so many things," the snow goddess purred. "Your sister's not dead, if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the prey for once."

The wolves snarled appreciatively.

"Yes, my dears." Khione kept her eyes on Jason. "Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

"Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world."

Khione sighed. "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia."

Khione waved her hand, and ice encased the prison, sealing in the spaces between the earthen tendrils.

"That's better," the snow goddess said. "Now, demigods, about your death—"

"You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," Jason said. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus."

The wolves snarled, and the storm spirits whinnied, ready to attack, but Khione held up her hand. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matter? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power."

"You could've killed us in Quebec," Jason said. "Why let us live?"

Khione wrinkled her nose. "Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially when he insists on meeting all visitors. I did try, you remember. It would've been lovely if he'd agreed to turn you to ice. But once he'd given you guarantee of safe passage, I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Aeolus, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest was suicidal. I fully expected you to fail."

"And to help us with that," Leo said, "you knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head—that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that."

"You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us," I added. "We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip."

"Yes, I feel so close to all of you now!" Khione said. "Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to asked Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House." Khione smiled at him. "You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these three from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with giants. It will be … delicious."

Piper and Leo didn't seem to understand what she was saying. But Jason and I knew. Me from experience, and Jason's memories seemed to be returning fast enough for him to know that that plan could be very dangerous.

"You'll set demigods against demigods," he said.

"It's so easy!" said Khione. "As I told you, I only encourage what you would do anyway."

"But why?" Piper spread her hands. "Khione, you'll tear the world apart. The giants will destroy everything. You don't want that. Call off your monsters."

Khione hesitated, then laughed. "Your persuasive powers are improving, girl. But I am a goddess. You can't charm-speak me. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honored me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming. Pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow."

"The ancient places." My eyes widened. "That's what Enceladus meant about destroy the roots of the gods. He meant Greece."

"You could join me, son of Hephaestus," Khione said. "I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other two were to die. Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion, instead. Your skills would be quite useful."

Leo looked stunned. He glanced behind him, like Khione might be talking to somebody else. For a second I was worried. I figured Leo didn't have beautiful goddesses make him offers like this every day.

Then Leo laughed so hard, he doubled over. "Yeah, join you. Right. Until you get bored of me and turn me into a Leosicle? Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. I can't believe I thought you were hot."

Khione's face turned red. "Hot? You dare insult me? I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold."

She shot a blast of wintry sleet at the demigods, but Leo held up his hand. A wall of fire roared to life in front of us, and the snow dissolved in a steamy cloud.

Leo grinned. "See, lady, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It—freaking—melts."

Khione hissed. "Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods. Let them be our king's first meal!"

I raised my sword, as Jason hefted his icy wooden plank—a stupid weapon to die fighting with—and the monsters charged.

A wolf launched itself at Jason. He stepped back and swung his scrap wood into the beast's snout with a satisfying crack. Maybe only silver could kill it, but a good old-fashioned board could still give it a Tylenol headache. I shot a silver arrow, and the wolf burst into golden dust.

He turned toward the sound of hooves and saw a storm spirit horse bearing down on him. Jason concentrated and summoned the wind. Just before the spirit could trample him, Jason launched himself into the air, grabbed the horse's smoky neck, and pirouetted onto its back.

The storm spirit reared. It tried to shake Jason, then tried to dissolve into mist to lose him; but somehow Jason stayed on.

"You're mine now," Jason said.

The horse bucked, but Jason held fast. Its mane flickered as it circled around the empty pool, its hooves causing miniature thunderstorms—tempests—whenever they touched.

"Tempest?" Jason said. "Is that your name?"

The horse spirit shook its mane, evidently pleased to be recognized.

"Fine," Jason said. "Now, let's fight."

He charged into battle, swinging his icy piece of wood, knocking aside wolves and plunging straight through other venti. I decided to join him, though my puny human legs were nowhere near as fast as the horse. Tempest was a strong spirit, and every time he plowed through one of his brethren, he discharged so much electricity, the other spirit vaporized into a harmless cloud of mist.

Through the chaos, I caught glimpses of my friends. Piper was surrounded by Earthborn, but she seemed to be holding her own. She was so impressive-looking as she fought, almost glowing with beauty, that the Earthborn stared at her in awe, forgetting that they were supposed to kill her. They'd lower their clubs and watch dumbfounded as she smiled and charged them. They'd smile back—until she sliced them apart with her dagger, and they melted into mounds of mud.

Leo had taken on Khione herself. While fighting a goddess should've been suicide, Leo was the right man for the job. She kept summoning ice daggers to throw at him, blasts of winter air, tornadoes of snow. Leo burned through all of it. His whole body flickered with red tongues of flame like he'd been doused with gasoline. He advanced on the goddess, using two silver-tipped ball-pen hammers to smash any monsters that got in his way.

I realized that Leo was the only reason we were still alive. His fiery aura was heating up the whole courtyard, countering Khione's winter magic. Without him, we would've been frozen like the Hunters long ago. Wherever Leo went, ice melted off the stones. Even Thalia started to defrost a little when Leo stepped near her. I grinned at this. Maybe Leo could save his virgin love after all.

Khione slowly backed away. Her expression went from enraged to shocked to slightly panicked as Leo got closer.

* * *

**Hey I'm back! With 40 chapters. Did you hear that? 40. 40. 40 frigging chapters! Milestone number...3 is it now?**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	42. Chapter 41

We were running out of enemies. Wolves lay in dazed heaps. Some slunk away into the ruins, yelping from their wounds. Piper stabbed the last Earthborn, who toppled to the ground in a pile of sludge. Jason rode Tempest through the last ventus, breaking it into vapor. I spun around and shot a wolf that had been trying to sneak up on me. Then I wheeled around and saw Leo bearing down on the goddess of snow.

"You're too late," Khione snarled. "He's awake! And don't think you've won anything here, demigods. Hera's plan will never work. You'll be at each other's throats before you can ever stop us."

Leo set his hammers ablaze and threw them at the goddess, but she turned into snow—a white powdery image of herself. Leo's hammers slammed into the snow woman, breaking it into a steaming mound of mush.

Piper was breathing hard, but she smiled up at Jason. "Nice horse."

Tempest reared on his hind legs, arcing electricity across his hooves. A complete show-off.

Then I heard a cracking sound behind me. The melting ice on Hera's cage sloughed off in a curtain of slush, and the goddess called, "Oh, don't mind me! Just the queen of the heavens, dying over here!"

The four of us jumped into the pool and ran to the spire.

Leo frowned. "Uh, Tía Callida, are you getting shorter?"

"No, you dolt! The earth is claiming me. Hurry!"

As much as I hated Hera, what I saw inside the cage alarmed me. Not only was Hera sinking, the ground was rising around her like water in a tank. Liquid rock had already covered her shins. "The giant wakes!" Hera warned. "You only have seconds!"

"On it," Leo said. "Piper, I need your help. Talk to the cage."

"What?" she said.

"Talk to it. Use everything you've got. Convince Gaea to sleep. Lull her into a daze. Just slow her down, try to get the tendrils to loosen while I—"

"Right!" Piper cleared her throat and said, "Hey, Gaea. Nice night, huh? Boy, I'm tired. How about you? Ready for some sleep?"

The more she talked, the more confident she sounded. I felt my own eyes getting heavy, and I had to force myself not to focus on her words. It seemed to have some effect on the cage. The mud was rising more slowly. The tendrils seemed to soften just a little—becoming more like tree root than rock. Leo pulled a circular saw out of his tool belt. How it fit in there, I had no idea. Then Leo looked at the cord and grunted in frustration. "I don't have anywhere to plug it in!"

The spirit horse Tempest jumped into the pit and whinnied.

"Really?" Jason asked.

Tempest dipped his head and trotted over to Leo. Leo looked dubious, but he held up the plug, and a breeze whisked it into the horse's flank. Lighting sparked, connecting with the prongs of the plug, and the circular saw whirred to life.

"Sweet!" Leo grinned. "Your horse comes with AC outlets!"

Our good mood didn't last long(obviously). On the other side of the pool, the giant's spire crumbled with a sound like a tree snapping in half. Its outer sheath of tendrils exploded from the top down, raining stone and wood shards as the giant shook himself free and climbed out of the earth.

I hadn't thought anything could be scarier than Enceladus.

I was wrong.

Porphyrion was even taller, and even more ripped. He didn't radiate heat, or show any signs of breathing fire, but there was something more terrible about him—a kind of strength, even magnetism, as if the giant were so huge and dense he had his own gravitational field.

Like Enceladus, the giant king was humanoid from the waist up, clad in bronze armor, and from the waist down he had scaly dragon's legs; but his skin was the color of lima beans. His hair was green as summer leaves, braided in long locks and decorated with weapons—daggers, axes, and full-size swords, some of them bent and bloody—maybe trophies taken from demigods eons before. When the giant opened his eyes, they were blank white, like polished marble. He took a deep breath.

"Alive!" he bellowed. "Praise to Gaea!"

I made a heroic little whimpering sound I hoped my friends couldn't hear. I was very sure no demigod could solo this guy. Porphyrion could lift mountains. He could crush us all with one finger. Looking around, Jason, Piper and Leo were having the same thoughts.

"Leo," Jason said.

"Huh?" Leo's mouth was wide open. Even Piper seemed dazed.

"You guys keep working," Jason said. "Get Hera free!"

"What are you going to do?" Piper asked. "You can't seriously—"

"Entertain a giant?" Jason said. "I've got no choice. Alex, back me up."

"Got it," I nodded.

"Excellent!" the giant roared as Jason approached. I stayed well out of sight. "An appetizer! Who are you—Hermes? Ares?"

Jason thought about going with that idea, but something told him not to.

"I'm Jason Grace," he said. "Son of Jupiter."

Those white eyes bored into him. Behind me, Leo's circular saw whirred, and Piper talked to the cage in soothing tones, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Porphyrion threw back his head and laughed. "Outstanding!" He looked up at the cloudy night sky. "So, Zeus, you sacrifice a son to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you."

The sky didn't even rumble. No help from above. Jason was on his own.

* * *

I could sense something was going wrong in the Wolf house. It sounded like the saw was trying to cut through a house. I glanced at Jason with a fearful look, and ran in the opposite direction.

As I collapsed through the door, Piper looked at me.

"Alex, Jason needs you!"

"I know, I know, but you need to get the cage down first." I reminded her.

"Yes but, remember, 'The forge and dove shall break the cage'. That's us. We'll work on this. You get to Jason."

I grinned. "You seem to have forgotten the last line. 'The blessed of sun shall ride along, and end it all with one cursed song.' So Piper. I ask you one single question. Can you sing?"

We ended up choosing 'Break it down' by Logic. Piper wold sing harmony, and I would do the echoes. I also strummed the chords on the guitar. Leo kept sawing.

We were playing for time. The song's magic wouldn't last forever, but it needed to last for enough time so Leo could get the cage down.

"So those are my schemes,

and these are my plans."

Piper sang. Her voice was truly beautiful. And it seemed to be working well. But not well enough. I strummed the last chord, and the trance broke. The earth continued to rise, up to Hera's thighs. Leo grunted and sweated like a horse, but to of no avail. The cage had take hold.

Outside, Jason dropped his makeshift club. His hands were covered in splinters, and he was playing for time. He looked at me, and I nodded. We both knew the drill.

It was time to act a whole lot more confident than what was felt.

"If you knew who I was," Jason yelled up at the giant, "you'd be worried about me, not my father. I hope you enjoyed your two and a half minutes of rebirth, giant, because I'm going to send you right back to Tartarus."

I grinned. Not bad.

The giant's eyes narrowed. He planted one foot outside the pool and crouched to get a better look at his opponent. "So … we'll start by boasting, will we? Just like old times! Very well, demigod. I am Porphryion, king of the giants, son of Gaea. In olden times, I rose from Tatarus, the abyss of my father, to challenge the gods. To start the war, I stole Zeus's queen." He grinned at the goddess's cage. "Hello, Hera."

"My husband destroyed you once, monster!" Hera said. "He'll do it again!"

"But he didn't, my dear! Zeus wasn't powerful enough to kill me. He had to rely on a puny demigod to help, and even then, we almost won. This time, we will complete what we started. Gaea is waking. She has provisioned us with many fine servants. Our armies will shake the earth—and we will destroy you at the roots."

"You wouldn't dare," Hera said, but she was weakening. I could hear it in her voice. Piper kept sing-song whispering to the cage, and I suddenly remembered to strum a chord to keep in time. Leo kept sawing, but the earth was still rising inside Hera's prison, covering her up to her waist.

"Oh, yes," the giant said. "The Titans sought to attack your new home in New York. Bold, but ineffective. Gaea is wiser and more patient. And we, her greatest children, are much, much stronger than Kronos. We know how to kill you Olympians once and for all. You must be dug up completely like rotten trees—your eldest roots torn out and burned."

The giant frowned at me, Piper and Leo, as if he'd just noticed them working at the cage. Jason stepped forward and yelled to get back Porphyrion's attention.

"You said a demigod killed you," he shouted. "How, if we're so puny?"

"Ha! You think I would explain it to you? I was created to be Zeus's replacement, born to destroy the lord of the sky. I shall take his throne. I shall take his wife—or, if she will not have me, I will let the earth consume her life force. What you see before you, child, is only my weakened form. I will grow stronger by the hour, until I am invincible. But I am already quite capable of smashing you to a grease spot!"

He rose to his full height and held out his hand. A twenty-foot spear shot from the earth. He grasped it, then stomped the ground with his dragon's feet. The ruins shook. All around the courtyard, monsters started to regather—storm spirits, wolves, and Earthborn, all answering the giant king's call.

"Great," I muttered. "We needed more enemies." I strummed an A minor.

"Hurry," Hera said.

"I know!" Leo snapped.

"Go to sleep, cage," Piper said. "Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all."

Porphyrion raked his spear across the top of the ruins, destroying a chimney and spraying wood and stone across the courtyard. "So, child of Zeus! I have finished my boasting. Now it's your turn. What were you saying about destroying me?"

Jason looked up at the ring of monsters, who were waiting impatiently for their master's order to tear them to shreds. Leo's circular saw kept whirring, and Piper kept singing, and I kept strumming, but it seemed hopeless. Hera's cage was almost completely filled with earth.

"I'm the son of Jupiter!" he shouted, and just for effect, he summoned the winds, rising a few feet off the ground. "I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion." I didn't know quite what he was saying, but Jason rattled off the words like he'd said them many times before. He held out his arms, showing the tattoo of the eagle and SPQR, and to his surprise the giant seemed to recognize it.

For a moment, Porphyrion actually looked uneasy.

"I slew the Trojan sea monster," Jason continued. "I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands. And now I'm going to destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."

"Wow, dude," Leo muttered. "You been eating red meat?"

Jason launched himself at the giant, yelling some battle cry in Latin.

The idea of fighting a forty-foot-tall immortal bare handed was so ridiculous, even the giant seemed surprised. Half flying, half leaping, Jason landed on the giant's scaly reptilian knee and climbed up the giant's arm before Porphyrion even realized what had happened.

"You dare?" the giant bellowed.

Jason reached his shoulders and ripped a sword out of the giant's weapon-filled braids. He yelled, "For Rome!" and drove the sword into the nearest convenient target—the giant's massive ear.

Lightning streaked out of the sky and blasted the sword, throwing Jason free. He rolled when he hit the ground. When he got up, the giant was staggering. His hair was on fire, and the side of his face was blackened from lightning. The sword had splintered in his ear. Golden ichor ran down his jaw. The other weapons were sparking and smoldering in his braids.

Porphyrion almost fell. The circle of monsters let out a collective growl and moved forward—wolves and ogres fixing their eyes on Jason.

"No!" Porphyrion yelled. He regained his balance and glared at the demigod. "I will kill him myself."

The giant raised his spear and it began to glow. "You want to play with lightning, boy? You forget. I am the bane of Zeus. I was created to destroy your father, which means I know exactly what will kill you."

* * *

**OoOo not good. Unless you've already read the book, which means you practically know what happens. I want to get this done by christmas, so I can do Rick Riordan's short story, 'Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford.' This takes place around Christmas time, So I wanna get the time line right for that. Apart from that, Have a happy december! **

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**

**Ps-Have you opened your advent calendar yet?**

**pps- Shout out to csdaines for reviewing. Yeah, I did comment on your story but I'm gonna say it again for formality-Your story is great. If you are reading this and you are csdaines, then keep up the good work. If you are reading this and you are not csdaines, then You should definately check his story 'Son of Artemis' out. It is completely and utterly worth it. **


	43. Chapter 42

Something in Porphyrion's voice told me he wasn't bluffing.

Me and my friends, we had a good run. The four of us had done amazing things. Yeah, even heroic things. But as the giant raised his spear, I knew there was no way Jason could deflect this strike.

This was the end.

"Got it!" Leo yelled.

"Sleep!" Piper said, so forcefully, the nearest wolves fell to the ground and began snoring.

The stone and wood cage crumbled. Leo had sawed through the base of the thickest tendril and apparently cut off the cage's connection to Gaea. The tendrils turned to dust. The mud around Hera disintegrated. The goddess grew in size, glowing with power.

"Yes!" the goddess said. She threw off her black robes to reveal a white gown, her arms bedecked with golden jewelry. Her face was both terrible and beautiful, and a golden crown glowed in her long black hair. "Now I shall have my revenge!"

The giant Porphyrion backed away. He said nothing, but he gave Jason one last look of hatred. His message was clear: Another time. Then he slammed his spear against the earth, and the giant disappeared into the ground like he'd dropped down a chute.

Around the courtyard, monsters began to panic and retreat, but there was no escape for them.

Hera glowed brighter. She shouted, "Cover your eyes, my heroes!"

I did just that.

* * *

"JASON!"

I uncovered my eyes when I heard this get yelled.

Piper kept calling his name as she held him, though we'd almost lost hope. He'd been unconscious for two minutes now. His body was steaming, his eyes rolled back in his head. I couldn't tell if he was even breathing.

I collapsed next to her, and placed my hand on his chest to check pulse. I was about to do the primary survey(Is there any danger around you:Practically everything. Is there anything that could harm the casualty:YES) when Hera said

"It's no use, child." She stood over us in her simple black robes and shawl.

I hadn't seen the goddess go nuclear. Thankfully I'd closed my eyes, but I could see the after effects. Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monsters had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before—still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six-armed ogres.

Even the Hunters had been revived. Most waited at a respectful distance in the meadow, but Thalia knelt by Piper's side, her hand on Jason's forehead.

Thalia glared up at the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—"

"Fix him!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"Um …" Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed him!"

Leo shook his head in dismay. "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage. Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back."

I half heard their conversation, but mostly I was focused on Jason's pulse. "He's breathing!" I announced. "I can feel his pulse!"

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

"Jason," Piper called, putting every bit of her willpower into his name. She was desperate. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."

Nothing happened. Had I imagined his breath stirring?

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite. Apollo- this is much out of the power of my stepson, much less _his_ child." Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. His mortal spirit—"

"Jason," Piper said again, and she force the power in every syllable "Wake up."

He gasped, and his eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light—glowing pure gold. Then the light faded and his eyes were normal again. "What—what happened?"

"Impossible!" Hera said.

Piper wrapped him in a hug until he groaned, "Crushing me."

"Sorry," she said, so relieved, she laughed while wiping a tear from her eye.

Thalia gripped her brother's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Hot," he muttered. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something… really terrible."

"That was Hera," Thalia grumbled. "Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon."

"That's it, Thalia Grace," said the goddess. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me—"

"Stop it, you two," Piper said. Amazingly, they both shut up.

Piper helped Jason to his feet and I gave him the last nectar from Piper's supplies. I pulled out more from my belt, but Jason shook his head.

"Now …" Piper faced Thalia and Hera. "Hera—Your Majesty—we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you never would've seen Jason again—I wouldn't have met him—if it weren't for Hera. You two make nice, because we've got bigger problems."

They both glared at her, and for three long seconds, I wasn't sure which one of them was going to kill Piper first.

Finally Thalia grunted. "You've got spirit, Piper." She pulled a silver card from her parka and tucked it into the pocket of Piper's snowboarding jacket. "You ever want to be a Hunter, call me. We could use you."

Hera crossed her arms. "Fortunately for this Hunter, you have a point, daughter of Aphrodite." She assessed Piper, as if seeing her clearly for the time. "You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together."

Piper's face looked warm. I wasn't sure how to respond to Hera's giving a daughter of Aphrodite a compliment, but luckily Leo stepped in.

"Yeah," he said, "I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"

"No," Hera agreed. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not yet regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—"

"He ran away," Jason said. "But to where?"

Hera didn't answer, but a sense of dread washed over me. I remembered what Porphyrion had said about killing the Olympians by pulling up their roots. Greece. I looked at Thalia's grim expression, and guessed the Hunter had come to the same conclusion.

"I need to find Annabeth," Thalia said. "Alex, you too. She has to know what's happened here."

"Thalia …" Jason gripped her hand. "We never got to talk about this place, or—"

"I know." Her expression softened. "I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet soon. I'll rendezvous with you back at Camp Half-Blood." She glanced at Hera. "You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do."

"It's not your place to tell me—"

"Queen Hera," Piper interceded.

The goddess sighed. "Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!"

Thalia gave Jason a hug and said her good-byes. When the Hunters were gone, the courtyard seemed strangely quiet. The dry reflecting pool showed no sign of the earthen tendrils that had brought back the giant king or imprisoned Hera. The night sky was clear and starry. The wind rustled in the redwoods. I thought about the time me and my mom came here, to Sonama valley for a picnic. It was like now, except it was day. And Mom would point at the sun, and say

"Look, Honey, it's your Dad."

* * *

"Jason, what happened to you here?" I asked. "I mean—I know your mom abandoned you here. But you said it was sacred ground for demigods. Why? What happened after you were on your own?"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "It's still murky. The wolves …"

"You were given a destiny," Hera said. "You were given into my service."

Jason scowled. "Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Knowing that he'd fallen for her twice. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone. "

"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason," Hera insisted. "The second time your mother managed to snare Zeus's affections, it was because she imagined him in a different aspect—the aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened—two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. You had to be separated from Thalia. This is where all demigods of your kind start their journey."

"Of his kind?" Piper asked.

"She means Roman," Jason said. "Demigods are left here. We meet the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immortal wolf that raised Romulus and Remus."

Hera nodded. "And if you are strong enough, you live."

"But …" Leo looked mystified. "What happened after that? I mean, Jason never made it to camp."

"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no," Hera agreed.

I felt as if the sky were spiraling above me, making me dizzy. "You went somewhere else. That's where you've been all these years. Somewhere else for demigods—but where?"

I looked down. "Piper, you're not the only ones keeping secrets on this trip. I have too. I knew all along."

Piper, Leo and Jason all gaped at me. "You knew all along and you didn't think to tell him!?" Piper screeched.

"Lisen, Piper, I-it was a vision from my Dad. He told me not to tell. I still don't know why he showed it to me. I still don't know if I should tell you the whole truth." I bit my lip, and turned away. I heard heavy breathing all around me.

"Just decide what you need to do, Al," Leo said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I smiled at him, then looked at Jason.

"Look, I'm sorry, But I had to." But Jason didn't seem to mind.

"It's fine. I understand. Just, are you going to tell me now?"

"It depends on how much you know." I answered truthfully.

Jason turned to the goddess. "The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No," Hera said. "That is part of your destiny, Jason. You must find your own way back. But when you do … you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giants, and more importantly—against Gaea herself."

"You want us to help you," Jason said, "but you're holding back information."

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid," Hera said. "That is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you four have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible …"

The goddess shook her head. "Suffice to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. Now you must return to Camp Half-Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase."

"Which you won't tell us about," Jason grumped. "And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?"

Hera waved aside the question. "Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, though I have no idea where he went, or whether you'll see him again. But there is an easier way home for you. As you have done me a great service, so I can help you—at least this once. Farewell, demigods, for now."

* * *

**Another chapter in a day. I am on**

**FIREEEE! Leo ma boi, Leo.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**

**ps-My hands won't stop moving**


	44. Chapter 43

The world turned upside down, and l almost blacked out.

When I could see straight again, I was back at camp, in the dining pavilion, in the middle of dinner. We were standing on the Aphrodite cabin's table, and Piper had one foot in Drew's pizza. I had my now grazed elbow in Lottie's Low Calorie Steak. Sixty campers rose at once, gawking at us in astonishment.

Whatever Hera had done to shoot us across the country, it wasn't good for my stomach. I could barely control my nausea. Piper was looking green in the face, and Jason ready to pass out. Leo wasn't so lucky. He jumped off the table, ran to the nearest bronze brazier, and threw up in it—which was probably not a great burnt offering for the gods.

"Jason?" Chiron trotted forward. No doubt the old centaur had seen thousands of years' worth of weird stuff, but even he looked totally flabbergasted. "What—How—?"

The Aphrodite campers stared up at us with their mouths open. I figured we must look awful.

"Hi," I said, as casually as I could. "We're back."

* * *

I didn't remember much about the rest of the night. We told our story and answered a million questions from the other campers, but finally Chiron saw how tired we were and ordered us to bed.

It felt so good to sleep on a real mattress, and I was so exhausted, I crashed immediately, not caring that I was on Will's bunk.

The next morning I woke up, feeling reinvigorated. The sun came through the windows along with a pleasant breeze. It might've been spring instead of winter. Birds sang. Monsters howled in the woods. Breakfast smells wafted from the dining pavilion—bacon, pancakes, and all sorts of wonderful things.

Will walked up to me, grinning.

"Good morning, Alex. Hope you slept well."

I looked around, and realised I was on Will's bunk. "Sorry," I grinned sheepishly. "But on the upside, you got to sleep on my bed!"

"Yeah," Will admitted, his British accent coming through. "It was pretty comfy. But seriously, you saved out asses. Again."

"You know what." I reasoned. "I don't care. I'm just glad to be back. Now breakfast." I looked around. "I see no-one's waited for us. Well, let's go anyways."

* * *

Breakfast was great. I mean, Leo's tacos were awesome too, but home food-it really hit the spot. It felt so strange to be back with family, at the tables around the mess hall. There was the Ares table, going around, picking fights with anyone they could. Clarisse was with Annabeth. Oh gods. Annabeth. I ran over to her, despite Will's protests.

"Annabeth-"

"Don't worry, Alex, Thalia already I-M'd me. So we know where Percy is. Now we need to get him here."

"Yeah," I nodded gratefully. "Thanks Annabeth. Oh wait, Leo's calling. I have to go."

True to my word, there he was, waving, and jumping up and down.

"What is it, Leo?" I asked, as I scoffed down the rest of my burrito.

"You know Bunker Nine?"

I swallowed and replied, "Yeah. You decided to burn it down, or blow it up, now?"

Leo shook his head."The opposite. I want to reveal it to the rest of my Cabin, plus Piper and Jason."

I bit my lip. "I dunno, Leo, is that a good idea?"

He nodded. "I think so. Bunker nine is theirs, by heritage. I shouldn't keep it from them."

"So," I said, smirking. "You want me to pretend I know nothing about this?" Everything was strange without the constant danger around.

"No," Leo said. "I want you to do the opposite. Can you help me?"

* * *

Leo hadn't looked so jumpy since he'd offered tofu burgers to the werewolves. When we got to the limestone cliff in the forest, he turned to the group and smiled nervously. "Here we go."

His hand caught fire, and he set it against the door.

His cabin mates gasped.

"Leo!" Nyssa cried. "You're a fire user!"

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I know."

Jake Mason, who was out of his body cast but still on crutches, said, "Holy Hephaestus. That means—it's so rare that—"

The massive stone door swung open, and everyone's mouth dropped. Leo's flaming hand seemed insignificant now. Even Piper and Jason looked stunned, and they'd seen enough amazing things lately.

Only Chiron didn't look surprised. The centaur knit his bushy eyebrows and stroked his beard, as if the group was about to walk through a minefield.

That made me even more nervous, but we couldn't change our mind now. My instincts told Leo he was meant to share this place—at least with the Hephaestus cabin—and he couldn't hide it from Chiron or our two other best friends.

"Welcome to Bunker Nine," he said, as confidently as he could. "C'mon in."

The group was silent as they toured the facility. Everything was just as we had left it—giant machines, worktables, old maps and schematics. Only one thing had changed. Festus's head was sitting on the central table, still battered and scorched from his final crash in Omaha.

We went over to it, a bitter taste in my mouth, and Leo stroked the dragon's forehead. "I'm sorry, Festus. But I won't forget you."

Jason put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Hephaestus brought it here for you?"

Leo nodded.

"But you can't repair him," Jason guessed.

"No way," Leo said. "But the head is going to be reused. Festus will be going with us."

Piper came over and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Before Leo could answer, Nyssa cried out, "Guys, look at this!"

She was standing at one of the worktables, flipping through a sketchbook—diagrams for hundreds of different machines and weapons.

"I've never seen anything like these," Nyssa said. "There are more amazing ideas here than in Daedalus's workshop. It would take a century just to prototype them all."

"Who built this place?" Jake Mason said. "And why?"

Chiron stayed silent, but I focused on the wall map we'd seen during our first visit. It showed Camp Half-Blood with a line of triremes in the Sound, catapults mounted in the hills around the valley, and spots marked for traps, trenches, and ambush sites.

"It's a wartime command center," I said. "The camp was attacked once, wasn't it?"

"In the Titan War?" Piper asked.

Nyssa shook her head. "No. Besides, that map looks really old. The date … does that say 1864?"

We all turned to Chiron.

The centaur's tail swished fretfully. "This camp has been attacked many times," he admitted. "That map is from the last Civil War."

Apparently, I wasn't the only one confused. The other Hephaestus campers looked at each other and frowned.

"Civil War …" Piper said. "You mean the American Civil War, like a hundred and fifty years ago?"

"Yes and no," Chiron said. "The two conflicts—mortal and demigod—mirrored each other, as they usually do in Western history. Look at any civil war or revolution from the fall of Rome onward, and it marks a time when demigods also fought one another. But that Civil War was particularly horrible. For American mortals, it is still their bloodiest conflict of all time—worse than their casualties in the two World Wars. For demigods, it was equally devastating. Even back then, this valley was Camp Half-Blood. There was a horrible battle in these woods lasting for days, with terrible losses on both sides."

"Both sides," Leo said. "You mean the camp split apart?"

"No," Jason spoke up. "He means two different groups. Camp Half-Blood was one side in the war."

I wasn't sure I wanted an answer, but I asked, "Who was the other?"

* * *

**And the Lost Hero is Practically done! I have posted 2 chapters today. I don't know what to say. I'm so proud.(Starts crying).**

**Thanks for sticking with me all the way.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	45. Chapter 44

Chiron glanced up at the tattered bunker 9 banner, as if remembering the day it was raised.

"The answer is dangerous," he warned. "It is something I swore upon the River Styx never to speak of. After the American Civil War, the gods were so horrified by the toll it took on their children, that they swore it would never happen again. The two groups were separated. The gods bent all their will, wove the Mist as tightly as they could, to make sure the enemies never remembered each other, never met on their quests, so that bloodshed could be avoided. This map is from the final dark days of 1864, the last time the two groups fought. We've had several close calls since then. The nineteen sixties were particularly dicey. But we've managed to avoid another civil war—at least so far. Just as Leo guessed, this bunker was a command center for the Hephaestus cabin. In the last century, it has been reopened a few times, usually as a hiding place in times of great unrest. But coming here is dangerous. It stirs old memories, awakens the old feuds. Even when the Titans threatened last year, I did not think it worth the risk to use this place."

Suddenly my sense of triumph turned to guilt. But apparently not Leo's.

"Hey, look, this place found me. It was meant to happen. It's a good thing."

"I hope you're right," Chiron said.

"I am!" Leo pulled an old drawing out of his pocket and spread it on the table for everyone to see.

"There," he said proudly. "Aeolus returned that to me. I drew it when I was five. That's my destiny."

Nyssa frowned. "Leo, it's a crayon drawing of a boat."

"Look." He pointed at the largest schematic on the bulletin board—the blueprint showing a Greek trireme. Slowly, our eyes widened as we compared the two designs. The number of masts and oars, even the decorations on the shields and sails were exactly the same as on Leo's drawing.

"That's impossible," Nyssa said. "That blueprint has to be a century old at least."

"'Prophecy—Unclear—Flight,'" Jake Mason read from the notes on the blueprint. "It's a diagram for a flying ship. Look, that's the landing gear. And weaponry—Holy Hephaestus: rotating ballista, mounted crossbows, Celestial bronze plating. That thing would be one spankin' hot war machine. Was it ever made?"

"Not yet," Leo said. "Look at the masthead."

There was no doubt—the figure at the front of the ship was the head of a dragon. A very particular dragon.

"Festus," I said. Everyone turned and looked at the dragon's head sitting on the table.

"He's meant to be our masthead," Leo said. "Our good luck charm, our eyes at sea. I'm supposed to build this ship. I'm gonna call it the Argo II. And guys, I'll need your help."

"The Argo II." Piper smiled. "After Jason's ship."

Jason looked a little uncomfortable, but he nodded. "Leo's right. That ship is just what we need for our journey."

"What journey?" Nyssa said. "You just got back!"

Piper ran her fingers over the old crayon drawing. "We've got to confront Porphyrion, the giant king. He said he would destroy the gods at their roots."

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Much of Rachel's Great Prophecy is still a mystery to me, but one thing is clear. You four—Jason, Piper, Alex and Leo—are among the eight demigods who must take on that quest. You must confront the giants in their homeland, where they are strongest. You must stop them before they can wake Gaea fully, before they destroy Mount Olympus."

"Um …" Nyssa shifted. "You don't mean Manhattan, do you?"

"No," Leo said. "The original Mount Olympus. We have to sail to Greece."

It took a few minutes for that settle in. Then the other Hephaestus campers started asking questions all at once. Who were the other four demigods? How long would it take to build the boat? Why didn't everyone get to go to Greece?

"Heroes!" Chiron struck his hoof on the floor. "All the details are not clear yet, but Leo is correct. He will need your help to build the Argo II. It is perhaps the greatest project Cabin Nine has even undertaken, even greater than the bronze dragon."

"It'll take a year at least," Nyssa guessed. "Do we have that much time?"

"You have six months at most," Chiron said. "You should sail by summer solstice, when the gods' power is strongest. Besides, we evidently cannot trust the wind gods, and the summer winds are the least powerful and easiest to navigate. You dare not sail any later, or you may be too late to stop the giants. You must avoid ground travel, using only air and sea, so this vehicle is perfect. Jason being the son of the sky god …"

His voice trailed off, but I figured Chiron was thinking about Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon. He would've been good on this voyage, too.

Jake Mason turned to Leo. "Well, one thing's for sure. You are now senior counselor. This is the biggest honor the cabin has ever had. Anyone object?"

Nobody did. All his cabinmates smiled at him, and I found myself grinning with them.

"It's official, then," Jake said. "You're the man."

For once, Leo was speechless.

"Well," he said at last, "if you guys elect me leader, you must be even crazier than I am. So let's build a spankin' hot war machine!"

The council was nothing like usual. For one thing, it was around a Ping-Pong table, and one of the satyrs was serving nachos and sodas. Somebody had brought Seymour the leopard head in from the living room and hung him on the wall. Every once in a while, a counselor would toss him a Snausage.

I looked around the room and tried to remember everyone's name. It wasn't hard, but there were some newbies. Thankfully, Leo, Jason and Piper were sitting next to me—it was their first meeting as senior counselors. Clarisse, leader of the Ares cabin, had her boots on the table, but nobody seemed to care. Clovis from Hypnos cabin was snoring in the corner while Butch from Iris cabin was seeing how many pencils he could fit in Clovis's nostrils. Travis Stoll from Hermes was holding a lighter under a Ping-Pong ball to see if it would burn, and Will Solace from Apollo was absently wrapping and unwrapping an Ace bandage around his wrist. The counselor from Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen something-or-other, was playing "got-your-nose" with Miranda Gardiner from Demeter, except that Lou Ellen really had magically disconnected Miranda's nose, and Miranda was trying to get it back.

Rachel Dare, the oracle, sat next to Chiron at the head of the table. She was wearing her Clarion Academy school uniform dress, which seemed a bit odd, but she smiled at us. She gave me a little wave.

Annabeth didn't look so relaxed. She wore armor over her camp clothes, with her knife at her side and her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. As soon as I walked in, she gave me a look, that for a moment made me think she was possessed.

"Let's come to order," Chiron said. "Lou Ellen, please give Miranda her nose back. Travis, if you'd kindly extinguish the flaming Ping-Pong ball, and Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril. Thank you. Now, as you can see, Jason, Alex, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully… more or less. Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in."

Everyone looked at Jason. He cleared his throat and began the story. Piper, me and Leo chimed in from time to time, filling in the details he forgot.

It only took a few minutes, but it seemed like longer with everyone watching us. The silence was heavy, and for so many ADHD demigods to sit still listening for that long, I knew the story must have sounded pretty wild. Jason ended with Hera's visit to him right before the meeting.

"So Hera was here," Annabeth said. "Talking to you."

Jason nodded. "Look, I'm not saying I trust her—"

"That's smart," Annabeth said.

"—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from."

"Romans." Clarisse tossed Seymour a Snausage. "You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never even heard of them."

I sat forward. "The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other."

"I can respect that," Clarisse said. "Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?"

"Oh, yes," Chiron said sadly. "You have, many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped, and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities."

"More warlike," Jason said. "More united. More about expansion, conquest, and discipline."

"Yuck," Travis put in.

Several of the others looked equally uncomfortable, though Clarisse shrugged like it sounded okay to her.

Annabeth twirled her knife on the table. "And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles, and made them part of the Roman Empire."

"Not exactly hated them," Jason said. "The Romans admired Greek culture, and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman."

"And it's been that way ever since," Annabeth guessed. "But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?"

Chiron tugged at his beard. "They did help, Annabeth. While you and Percy were leading the battle to save Manhattan, who do think conquered Mount Othrys, the Titans' base in California?"

"Hold on," I said. "You said Mount Othrys just crumbled when we beat Kronos."

"No," Jason said. "It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. I defeated the Titan Krios myself."

Annabeth's eyes were as stormy as a storm spirit. I could almost see her thoughts moving, putting the pieces together. "The Bay Area. We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, was it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Francisco. I bet it was put there to keep watch on the Titans' territory. Where is it?"

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair. "I cannot say. Honestly, even I have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memory, too, has been burned away."

"The camp's heavily veiled with magic," Jason said. "And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it."

Rachel Dare laced her fingers. Of all the people in the room, only she didn't seem nervous about the conversation. "But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the Argo II. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants."

"Bad plan," Clarisse warned. "If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking."

"You're probably right," Jason agreed. "But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A peace offering."

"Hmm," Rachel said. "Because Hera is convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Seven heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman."

Annabeth nodded. "Your Great Prophecy—what's the last line?"

"And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

"Gaea has opened the Doors of Death," Annabeth said. "She's letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them."

"Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death," Clarisse pointed out. "It doesn't say we'll cooperate."

There was silence as we campers let that happy thought sink in.

"I'm going," Annabeth said. "Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you."

"I was hoping you'd offer," Jason said. "You of all people —we'll need you."

"Wait." Leo frowned. "I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?"

"Hera said my coming here was an exchange of leaders," Jason said. "A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence."

"Yeah?" Leo said. "So?"

"An exchange goes two ways," Jason said. "When I got here, my memory was wiped. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not my enemy. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble."

"Him?" Leo said. "Who are you talking about?"

"My boyfriend," Annabeth said grimly. "He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—"

"Exactly," Jason agreed. "Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is."

* * *

**And done. It's like 6:00 am now, so I'm down.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	46. Advent Calender-One-shot number one

"Aaaaaand done!" I hung the last star on the tree. I cupped my hands over my mouth like a microphone, and yelled to Leo and Will, who had their eyes closed. We were decorating the camp Christmas tree, and Leo was taking a break from designing the Argo 2 to come with Will and have a look. The Camp used to have a rota of who decorated the camp tree each year, but since two years ago, when it was the Ares cabin's turn, and Clarrise poured fake blood all over the tree, Chiron just stuck to getting the Apollo and Hermes cabins decorating it.

"Let's see!" yelled Will and Leo at the same , and they ran forward.

"Oh sh*t!" I screamed, as the 5 meter tall ladder I was standing on toppled over. Yes, the Christmas tree was really that huge.

I landed on the floor with a thud. Will was at my side in seconds, checking my wrist for a pulse. I laughed, and pulled my wrist away, throwing my arms behind me to support my weight, and my fingers were splayed outwards.

"I'm not dead, and you know it, so stop checking my pulse."

"H-how?" Leo asked, his mouth wide open. "Wait, how are you not dead?"

"Are you joking?" I asked, and then I grinned. "Too much for ya, Valdez?"

"Yes," he said. "For sure."

I was stunned for a bit, then I said, "No seriously, that was nothing. I fell of a cliff once."

"Oh yeah," Will said. "And you fell off the chariot. I still haven't forgiven you yet for the hole. You owe me that."

"Will." I rolled my eyes. "The chariot's broken. If you're gonna blame someone, then blame him." I jabbed my thumb in Leo's direction. He threw his hands up in surrender.

We were in the Cabin courtyard. Next to the much loved fire at this time of year, stood the Christmas tree, freshly decorated. It smelt of grassy fir, and dusty decorations. I swear those things are as old as Zeus' underpants.

The cabins around us had sprigs of holly above them, and the Demeter cabin decided to go the extra mile for inspection, by making little fir trees sprout on the roof. The air had that vibe about it, the 'It's cold and depressing, so try and keep your spirits up' vibe.

It had been about a month since we had come back from our Quest, and the main frame for the Argo 2 was under construction. However, Leo, Nyssa, and Jake Mason(who had just come out of his body cast) were planning and prototyping the finer details. It was annoying, as they spent practically every minute in the Bunker, which meant that I spent practically every minute in the Bunker too. But truth be told, I didn't regret a single second.

* * *

The time was 12:07 am. I was slapping Leo around his face, getting him to wake up.

"W-wha-whatdyouwan' Al?" he said, face sleep-ridden and lousy.

"Listen, if you're gonna go to sleep, then you might as well go to sleep in your own cabin. Really, a shaken sleep schedule is gonna really mess your mental health, Leo. It's not good for you. At all." I told him.

"Really," Leo told me, not impressed. "The world is about to end, and you think I care about mental health?"

"Well I do, so get your a*s over to your cabin, and go to sleep. Everyone else has that sense."

Leo looked around. "Wh-where is everyone?"

"In bed. Look, Leo, the time is past 12:00 am. You need to go too."

* * *

It was in the late hours of December the 1st. My eyes were heavy, as I played with a steaming cup of coffee, waiting for it to cool down. Annabeth walked over to me, and raised her eyebrows.

"Didn't sleep?" she asked concerned. I smiled. I didn't get what people meant when they said Annabeth was scary. This was the Annabeth I knew. My best friend.

"Yeah, not really. Leo, Nyssa and Jake stayed up really late, and I stayed with them to help tweak some bits. I finally managed to get Nyssa and Jake to bed, but Leo? He just wouldn't. He ended up going to bed past 2 am, after I hounded him. That's why you don't see him now." Then realisation dawned. "Unless...Leo! You jacka*s!" I ran towards the bunker. I heard hurried footsteps behind me, which meant Annabeth was following.

I slammed open the door of the bunker, and sure enough, there was Leo, working over his metal. I went over, not caring that the bunker was full of people. I slapped Leo in the face. He looked at me surprised.

"Good morning to you too, then."

"Good morning?!" I yelled. "When did you come back after I told you to go to bed?!"

"He was here when I got here," Layton said.

"When was that?" I asked, turning on my heel so fast I nearly toppled.

"About five-ish. And he'd already completed half the missiles for the rotating bastilliea. That takes about two or so hours, if you're really quick. So I'd say he was here about 2:45-ish. Dang, he's early."

My face was fuming. "So, Valdez, what do you have to say for yourself?"  
"Uhhhh..." was his reply.

"Alex!" came Annabeth's voice from the doorway. I glared at Leo.

"I'm not done with you yet." Then I stormed out the doorway after Annabeth.

* * *

"Look!" Kayla bounded up to me excitedly. Austin came behind her, grunting and sweating as he dragged his saxaphone. "We got Advent Calendars!". Austin hurriedly played a fanfare. I grinned.

"How many?" I asked, excited. This was the first time we had them.

"One for each camper! Y'know, over Christmas!"

I nodded. "We'll set to work, getting them out."

* * *

It was evening, and the December fireworks had started. Explosions after explosions. The Hephaestus cabin was busy, so we used the ones from last year, but they were still great. I was on my own, on the top of bunker nine. I didn't like going with someone else. It was just a hassle. And I usually sat on top of a tree to get a good view, but I discovered that the view from the roof of the bunker was even better. All was quiet, or quieter than by the event. I let my thoughts wash over me, letting the colors dance before my eyes, when,

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I looked around. Somehow, Leo had got up to the roof, and was sitting next to me.

"How did you get up here?" I asked. I didn't have the energy to be mad at him.

"Using the ladder embedded into the walls."

I grinned. I didn't think anyone else had seen that, but for some reason, I din't mind Leo knowing about it.

"Yeah, well, aren't you supposed to be working on the ship? Not saying anything, but..."

Leo sighed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I've been working on the ship too much. I feel like I owe it to you."

I nodded, in mock seriousness, and then burst out laughing. It was never easy to not be laughing around him. I remembered something, and handed him a box.

"An Advent Calendar?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. One for each camper. I dunno why."

Leo grinned at me, and then opened window number one. He broke the candy, which was shaped like a pair of bells, and handed one half to me. Together, we watched the fireworks, on the 1st of December.

* * *

**And the first Christmas one-shot out! Yes, I know it's like the 10th of December now. Or it's later depending on where and when you're reading it, but yeah.**

**Also, I just wanted to say my update schedule may or may not be rocky for the next month (hoping may not!) 'cause I'm on holiday, but I will still post(even if it's a little bit!)**

**I think you can expect more one-shots like this, but if you want me to move straight onto the MoA, then just review on this story, or you can PM me.**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


	47. Chapter 45

"Al, come here for a sec!" Leo yelled at me. I walked over to him, grumbling.

"Yes, I know I said I'd help you, Leo, but this is too much! I'm literally running foot-on for you, whenever! It's two in the morning, for God's sake!"

"When did that ever stop me?" Leo grinned impishly. I rolled my eyes.

"Never, yes I know, but we have a counciler's meeting today, and I, for one, don't want to fall asleep at a ping pong table, even if you do!"

"K fine, you go."

"Not without you. I'm never trusting you again, not after that Christmas incident."

* * *

It was seven in the morning, and I had to drink about nine cups of coffee to keep me awake just for the meeting. If I'd had the energy, I would've worried about my patients at my infirmary shift, but right now, I didn't even have the energy to tell the difference between salt and sugar. My half conscious brain decided it would be funny to mistake the cocoa powder and the pepper too, so when I sat down next to Will at the Apollo table, I had the world's first savoury cup of coffee. But guess what? I didn't have the energy to deal with that either, so I decided to just put up with it. Surprisingly enough, it got me through the morning.

* * *

"I suppose you all know why I have gathered you today."

No-one was listening.

Chiron banged his hoof on the table. We all sat up(except Clovis, which wasn't a surprise. What was surprising though was that Butch had managed to get eleven pencils in his nostrils this time!).

"I will repeat again, I assume you all know why I have called you all here."

He looked around, and judging from our black expressions, he sighed.

"Why do I ever trust you to send out the summons, Travis? Honestly, I thought maybe because you are the son of the messenger god, but never mind." Giving Travis one final death stare, he continued. "It has been five months since Leo set out with his cabin to start the Argo- where is Leo?"

I opened my mouth to tell Chiron that he was probably asleep, but Chiron held up his hand. "Alexandra, I think I understand. Very well, you shall simply have to relay to him the events of this meeting later."

I nodded my head, not bothering to tell him that I wasn't sure if I could stay awake too.

"Very well then, as we have that sorted, there's no point dilly-dallying. We have a deadline. In one month, the Argo II must be in sailing condition, or else we cannot hope to prevent Gaia from rising. Myself and the Council of Cloven Elders have agreed that it is too much responsibility for one cabin alone to hold, not to mention my own worries about their mental health, so we have decided that from now, everyone in camp shall help, including the satyrs. Non-essential training, such as canoeing, and foot-racing shall be called off until further notice, to allow for extra time to be dedicated to the ship. Today is also the last capture the flag, as we shall use that time as well to help with the ship."

My ears perked up at the mention of Capture the flag. Maybe I could finally get Leo to join? I started thinking of a bunch of debates that would get him in the game.

"Very well. The council is adjourned."

* * *

"Hey, Leo."

"Mmm, yeah?"

"Capture the flag."

"What about it?"

"I want you to join the game today. It's our last game before we set sail. C'mon, Leo, it's called fun!"

"Yeah, after Clarisse and her cronies decide to pick on me again." Leo stated. "Besides, I need to work on the ship."

"Leo, you think about the ship far too much. Seriously, relax for a bit. Oi Nyssa!" I yelled. The daughter of Hepheastus looked up.

"Yeah, Alex?"

"Try and convince Leo to come to capture the flag, please!"

Nyssa sighed. "I would, but there's just too much work that needs to be done on the ship!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" I said. "Chiron said this is the last game until the ship sails, because after that, everyone's going to be pitching in to help! So you can spare one evening now."

"Oh, well, that changes things!" Nyssa grinned. "C'mon, Leo, join in!"

Leo grumbled. "Ok fine. But you're responsible for my body, Al."

"Sure thing," I smiled. Oh boy was I going to teach Leo a lot. His first ever capture the flag game!

And maybe his last..., a voice said in my head.

Shut up, I told it back. We will succeed.

Mother Earth says different.

* * *

**Hey everyone!**

**Yes I know I'm fickle minded, sue me. But I felt like continuing this story, and so I have.**

**Capture the flag next chapter! Also I know this chapter's short, but it's going to take some time to get back into the flow of writing, and I'm also going to have to start preparing for GCSE's soon, so I will be busy, not to mention that I've taken the overwhelming task of watching all 720 episodes of Naruto on my back! So yeah, slow and steady wins the race!(Though who I'm competing against is a mystery!)**

**Yours,**

**MilkandCheez**


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